Exercise 2188Algebra › PolynomialsL1Added 3 Nov 2026
Cyclotomic polynomials
#cyclotomic#roots of unity#irreducibility
Statement
Show that is irreducible over , and that its roots are the primitive cube roots of unity.
Hint
A primitive cube root satisfies and , so .
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Solution
Roots. If and , then , so is a root of .
Discriminant. , so the roots are complex: , with and .
Irreducibility over . A quadratic with no rational root is irreducible over . has no rational root (candidates give and ).
Conclusion. is irreducible over , with roots the primitive cube roots of unity.