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Non-constructible number

 
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Apr28-04, 02:04 AM   #1
 

Non-constructible number


why is the sin(2*pi/7) non-constructible?
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Apr28-04, 03:53 AM   #2
 
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Becuase it doesn't lie in a quadratic extension of a quadratic extension of (etc) R: a number is constructible iff (using straight edge and compass) if it lies in an extension of degree 2^n for some n. The proof is elementary and a good exposition can be found in almost any Galois THeory book. To check this particular example find the minimal polynomial of sin2pi/7, which i imagine is the cycltomic x^5+x^4+x^3+x^2+x+1
Sep16-04, 11:30 PM   #3
 
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constructible means it is obtained by intersecting some lines and circles, hence given by quadratic equations. thus a sequence of extension fields of degree 2. since field extension degree is multiplicative, repeating them gives fields of degree 2^n. so any number satisfying an irreducible equation of degree not a power of 2 is not constructible.
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