Field Arithmetic - Fields With Finite Absolute Galois Groups

Fields With Finite Absolute Galois Groups

Let K be a field and let G = Gal(K) be its absolute Galois group. If K is algebraically closed, then G = 1. If K = R is the real numbers, then

Here C is the field of complex numbers and Z is the ring of integer numbers. A theorem of Artin and Schreier asserts that (essentially) these are all the possibilities for finite absolute Galois groups.

Artin–Schreier theorem. Let K be a field whose absolute Galois group G is finite. Then either K is separably closed and G is trivial or K is real closed and G = Z/2Z.

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