Exercise 7.11

With the situation being that of Exercise 10 suppose that α ∈ F has order q − 1 . Show that there is a β ∈ K with order q 2 − 1 such that β 1 + q = α .

Answers

Write | a | the order of an element a in a group G . We recall the following lemma :

Lemma. If | a | = d , then for all i ∈ ℤ , | a i | = d d ∧ i .

Proof. Indeed, for all k ∈ ℤ ,

( a i ) k = e ⟺ a ik = e ⟺ d ∣ ik ⟺ d d ∧ i ∣ i d ∧ i k ⟺ d d ∧ i ∣ k .

□

Proof. (Ex. 7.11)

Let α ∈ F ∗ with | α | = q − 1 , and g a generator of K ∗ , so | g | = q 2 − 1 . We know from exercise 7.10 that there exists an integer i such that α = g i ( q + 1 ) .

Let h = g q + 1 . As h q − 1 = 1 , then h ∈ F ∗ , and since | g | = q 2 − 1 , | h | = q − 1 , so h is a generator of F ∗ .

Note that for all s ∈ ℤ , α = g ( i + s ( q − 1 ) ) ( q + 1 ) , since g q 2 − 1 = 1 .

We will show that we can choose s such that j = i + s ( q − 1 ) is relatively prime with q + 1 . Then j is such that α = g j ( q + 1 ) = h j .

i is odd : if not, α is an element of the subgroup of squares in F ∗ , so its order divides ( q − 1 ) ∕ 2 , in contradiction with | α | = q − 1 .

( q − 1 ) ∧ ( q + 1 ) ∣ 2 . Since i − 1 is even, there exist integers s , t verifying the Bézout’s equation

i − 1 = t ( q + 1 ) − s ( q − 1 ) .

Then j = i + s ( q − 1 ) = 1 + t ( q + 1 ) is relatively prime with q + 1 : j ∧ ( q + 1 ) = 1 .

Moreover, as α = h j , with | α | = | h | = q − 1 , the lemma implies that

q − 1 = | α | = q − 1 ( q − 1 ) ∧ j ,

so ( q − 1 ) ∧ j = 1 . As ( q + 1 ) ∧ j = 1 and ( q − 1 ) ∧ j = 1 , then ( q 2 − 1 ) ∧ j = 1 .

Let β = g j . Then α = β 1 + q , and using the lemma,

| β | = | g j | = q 2 − 1 ( q 2 − 1 ) ∧ j = q 2 − 1 .

Conclusion: there exists a β ∈ K ∗ with order q 2 − 1 such that β 1 + q = α . □

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2022-07-19 00:00
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