22. Finite Fields and Properties I
The chapter discusses the construction of finite fields and their properties, specifically focusing on the characteristic of a field. Through various examples, it illustrates how finite fields operate under addition and multiplication modulo an irreducible polynomial, establishing essential concepts such as field axioms, cyclic groups, and the significance of prime characteristics. Additionally, it proves that the characteristic of any finite field is always a prime number.
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Sections
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What we have learnt
- The construction of finite fields involves operations on polynomials under a modulo.
- Each non-zero element in a finite field has a multiplicative inverse, satisfying field axioms.
- The characteristic of a finite field is the smallest positive integer that sums the identity element to zero.
Key Concepts
- -- Finite Field
- A finite field is a set of elements where addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division (except by zero) are well-defined and satisfy field axioms.
- -- Characteristic of a Field
- The characteristic is the smallest positive integer such that adding the multiplicative identity to itself that many times gives zero. It is always a prime number in finite fields.
- -- Cyclic Group
- A group where every element can be expressed as a power of a single element known as the generator.
- -- Irreducible Polynomial
- A polynomial that cannot be factored into polynomials of lower degrees over the same field.
Additional Learning Materials
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