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In mathematics, a monogenic field is an
algebraic number field In mathematics, an algebraic number field (or simply number field) is an extension field K of the field of rational numbers such that the field extension K / \mathbb has finite degree (and hence is an algebraic field extension). Thus K is a ...
''K'' for which there exists an element ''a'' such that the
ring of integers In mathematics, the ring of integers of an algebraic number field K is the ring of all algebraic integers contained in K. An algebraic integer is a root of a monic polynomial with integer coefficients: x^n+c_x^+\cdots+c_0. This ring is often d ...
''O''''K'' is the subring Z 'a''of ''K'' generated by ''a''. Then ''O''''K'' is a quotient of the
polynomial ring In mathematics, especially in the field of algebra, a polynomial ring or polynomial algebra is a ring (which is also a commutative algebra) formed from the set of polynomials in one or more indeterminates (traditionally also called variable ...
Z 'X''and the powers of ''a'' constitute a power integral basis. In a monogenic field ''K'', the field discriminant of ''K'' is equal to the
discriminant In mathematics, the discriminant of a polynomial is a quantity that depends on the coefficients and allows deducing some properties of the roots without computing them. More precisely, it is a polynomial function of the coefficients of the ori ...
of the minimal polynomial of α.


Examples

Examples of monogenic fields include: *
Quadratic fields In algebraic number theory, a quadratic field is an algebraic number field of degree two over \mathbf, the rational numbers. Every such quadratic field is some \mathbf(\sqrt) where d is a (uniquely defined) square-free integer different from 0 ...
: : if K = \mathbf(\sqrt d) with d a
square-free integer In mathematics, a square-free integer (or squarefree integer) is an integer which is divisible by no square number other than 1. That is, its prime factorization has exactly one factor for each prime that appears in it. For example, is square- ...
, then O_K = \mathbf /math> where a = (1+\sqrt d)/2 if ''d'' ≡ 1 (mod 4) and a = \sqrt d if ''d'' ≡ 2 or 3 (mod 4). *
Cyclotomic fields In number theory, a cyclotomic field is a number field obtained by adjoining a complex root of unity to , the field of rational numbers. Cyclotomic fields played a crucial role in the development of modern algebra and number theory because of th ...
: : if K = \mathbf(\zeta) with \zeta a
root of unity In mathematics, a root of unity, occasionally called a de Moivre number, is any complex number that yields 1 when raised to some positive integer power . Roots of unity are used in many branches of mathematics, and are especially important i ...
, then O_K = \mathbf
zeta Zeta (, ; uppercase Ζ, lowercase ζ; grc, ζῆτα, el, ζήτα, label=Demotic Greek, classical or ''zē̂ta''; ''zíta'') is the sixth letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 7. It was derived fr ...
Also the maximal real subfield \mathbf(\zeta)^ = \mathbf(\zeta + \zeta^) is monogenic, with ring of integers \mathbf zeta+\zeta^/math>. While all quadratic fields are monogenic, already among cubic fields there are many that are not monogenic. The first example of a non-monogenic number field that was found is the
cubic field In mathematics, specifically the area of algebraic number theory, a cubic field is an algebraic number field of degree three. Definition If ''K'' is a field extension of the rational numbers Q of degree 'K'':Qnbsp;= 3, then ''K'' is called ...
generated by a root of the polynomial X^3 - X^2 - 2X - 8, due to
Richard Dedekind Julius Wilhelm Richard Dedekind (6 October 1831 – 12 February 1916) was a German mathematician who made important contributions to number theory, abstract algebra (particularly ring theory), and the axiomatic foundations of arithmetic. His ...
.


References

* * Algebraic number theory {{Numtheory-stub