Is the Order of an Automorphism in a Field with Characteristic p Equal to p?

In summary, the order of an automorphism in a field of characteristic ##p## is not necessarily ##p.## However, there is a special automorphism called the Frobenius homomorphism that has order ##p## and acts as the identity map on the prime field of the field.
  • #1
HDB1
77
7
Please, I have a question about automorphism:

Let ##\mathbb{K}## be a field, if ##\operatorname{char}(\mathbb{K})=p ##, then the order of automorphism ##\phi## is ##p##, i.e. ##\phi^p=\operatorname{id}##, where ##i d## is identity map.

Is that right? please, if yes, how we can prove it, and what will happen if ##\operatorname{char}(\mathbb{K})=0 ##Thanks in advance, :heart:
 
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  • #2
Dear @fresh_42 , if you could help, I would appreciate that, :heart: :heart:
 
  • #3
HDB1 said:
Please, I have a question about automorphism:

Let ##\mathbb{K}## be a field, if ##\operatorname{char}(\mathbb{K})=p ##, then the order of automorphism ##\phi## is ##p##, i.e. ##\phi^p=\operatorname{id}##, where ##i d## is identity map.

Is that right? please, if yes, how we can prove it, and what will happen if ##\operatorname{char}(\mathbb{K})=0 ##Thanks in advance, :heart:
This is not the case.

Consider ##\mathbb{F}_3=\mathbb{Z}/3\mathbb{Z}=\{\bar 0\, , \,\bar 1\, , \,\bar 2\, , \,\}## and the polynomial ##f(x)=x^2+\bar1 \in \mathbb{F}_3[x].## It has no zeros in ##\mathbb{F}_3## since ##f(\bar 0)=\bar 1 \, , \,f(\bar 1)= \bar 2 \, , \,f(\bar 2)=\bar 2 .## Therefore, it has no factors of degree ##1,## i.e. it is irreducible. If we add a zero ##\mathrm{i}## of ##x^2+1## to ##\mathbb{F}_3,## i.e. we build
$$
\mathbb{K}=\mathbb{F}_3[x]/\langle x^2+1 \rangle \cong \mathbb{F}_3[\mathrm{i}]
$$
then ##\mathbb{F}_3 \subsetneq \mathbb{F}_3[\mathrm{i}]=\mathbb{K}## is a proper field extension and ##\operatorname{char}\mathbb{F}_3=\operatorname{char}\mathbb{K}=3.##

We define ## \sigma (a+b\mathrm{i}):=a-b \mathrm{i}## for all ##a,b \in \mathbb{F}_3.## Then ##\sigma ## is an automorphism of ##\mathbb{K}## and ##\sigma^2=\operatorname{id}_{\mathbb{K}},## i.e. ##\operatorname{ord}(\sigma)=2.##

However, and maybe this is what you meant, there is a certain automorphism for fields of finite characteristic. Say ##\operatorname{char}\mathbb{K}=p.## Then ##x\longmapsto x^p## is the Frobenius homomorphism which is an automorphism of ##\mathbb{K}## and the identity map on the prime field ##\mathbb{F}_p## of ##\mathbb{K}.##
 
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1. What is an automorphism in a field with characteristic p?

An automorphism in a field with characteristic p is a bijective mapping from the field to itself that preserves the field's operations (addition, multiplication, and multiplicative inverse). In other words, it is a transformation that leaves the field unchanged.

2. What is the order of an automorphism in a field with characteristic p?

The order of an automorphism in a field with characteristic p is the number of times the automorphism must be applied to the field before it returns to its original state. This is also known as the period of the automorphism.

3. Is the order of an automorphism in a field with characteristic p always equal to p?

No, the order of an automorphism in a field with characteristic p is not always equal to p. It can be any positive integer that divides p-1. However, if the order of the automorphism is equal to p, then the automorphism is known as a Frobenius automorphism.

4. What is the significance of the order of an automorphism in a field with characteristic p?

The order of an automorphism in a field with characteristic p is significant because it determines the structure and properties of the field. For example, if the order of the automorphism is equal to p, then the field is called a perfect field, which has important applications in algebraic geometry and number theory.

5. Can the order of an automorphism in a field with characteristic p be greater than p?

No, the order of an automorphism in a field with characteristic p cannot be greater than p. This is because p is the largest possible order for an automorphism in a field with characteristic p, as it must divide p-1. Any integer greater than p would not be a divisor of p-1, and therefore, cannot be the order of an automorphism in this field.

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