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Krasner's lemma

Krasner's lemma is a mathematics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Krasner's lemma rather than just read about it. In short: In number theory, more specifically in p-adic analysis, Krasner's lemma is a basic result relating the topology of a complete non-archimedean field to its algebraic extensions. Statement Let K be a complete non-archimedean field and let K be a separable closure of K.

Key takeaways

  • Krasner's lemma belongs to mathematics; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Krasner's lemma to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Krasner's lemma from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

In number theory, more specifically in p-adic analysis, Krasner's lemma is a basic result relating the topology of a complete non-archimedean field to its algebraic extensions.

Statement Let K be a complete non-archimedean field and let K be a separable closure of K. Given an element α in K, denote its Galois conjugates by α2, ..., αn. Krasner's lemma states:

Applications Krasner's lemma can be used to show that p {\displaystyle {\mathfrak {p}}} -adic completion and separable closure of global fields commute. In other words, given p {\displaystyle {\mathfrak {p}}} a prime of a global field L, the separable closure of the p {\displaystyle {\mathfrak {p}}} -adic completion of L equals the p ¯ {\displaystyle {\overline {\mathfrak {p}}}} -adic completion of the separable closure of L (where p ¯ {\displaystyle {\overline {\mathfrak {p}}}} is a prime of L above p {\displaystyle {\mathfrak {p}}} ). Another application is to proving that Cp—the completion of the algebraic closure of Qp—is algebraically closed.

Generalization Krasner's lemma has the following generalization. Consider a monic polynomial

f ∗ = ∏ k = 1 n ( X − α k ∗ ) {\displaystyle f^{*}=\prod _{k=1}^{n}(X-\alpha _{k}^{*})} of degree n > 1 with coefficients in a Henselian field (K, v) and roots in the algebraic closure K. Let I and J be two disjoint, non-empty sets with union {1,...,n}. Moreover, consider a polynomial

g = ∏ i ∈ I ( X − α i ) {\displaystyle g=\prod _{i\in I}(X-\alpha _{i})}

with coefficients and roots in K. Assume

∀ i ∈ I ∀ j ∈ J : v ( α i − α i ∗ ) > v ( α i ∗ − α j ∗ ) . {\displaystyle \forall i\in I\forall j\in J:v(\alpha _{i}-\alpha _{i}^{*})>v(\alpha _{i}^{*}-\alpha _{j}^{*}).}

Then the coefficients of the polynomials

g ∗ := ∏ i ∈ I ( X − α i ∗ ) , h ∗ := ∏ j ∈ J ( X − α j ∗ ) {\displaystyle g^{*}:=\prod _{i\in I}(X-\alpha _{i}^{*}),\ h^{*}:=\prod _{j\in J}(X-\alpha _{j}^{*})}

are contained in the field extension of K generated by the coefficients of g. (The original Krasner's lemma corresponds to the situation where g has degree 1.)

Notes

References Brink, David (2006). "New light on Hensel's Lemma". Expositiones Mathematicae. 24 (4): 291–306. doi:10.1016/j.exmath.2006.01.002. ISSN 0723-0869. Zbl 1142.12304. Lorenz, Falko (2008). Algebra. Volume II: Fields with Structure, Algebras and Advanced Topics. Springer-Verlag. ISBN 978-0-387-72487-4. Zbl 1130.12001. Narkiewicz, Władysław (2004). Elementary and analytic theory of algebraic numbers. Springer Monographs in Mathematics (3rd ed.). Berlin: Springer-Verlag. p. 206. ISBN 3-540-21902-1. Zbl 1159.11039. Neukirch, Jürgen; Schmidt, Alexander; Wingberg, Kay (2008), Cohomology of Number Fields, Grundlehren der Mathematischen Wissenschaften, vol. 323 (Second ed.), Berlin: Springer-Verlag, ISBN 978-3-540-37888-4, MR 2392026, Zbl 1136.11001

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Krasner's lemma

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Krasner's lemma claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In mathematics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Krasner's lemma before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Krasner's lemma ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Krasner's lemma

In research
Krasner's lemma appears in mathematics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Krasner's lemma in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Krasner's lemma is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Field theory, Lemmas in number theory, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Krasner's lemma outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study Krasner's lemma in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Krasner's lemma means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Krasner's lemma out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Krasner's lemma in simple terms?

In number theory, more specifically in p-adic analysis, Krasner's lemma is a basic result relating the topology of a complete non-archimedean field to its algebraic extensions. Statement Let K be a complete non-archimedean field and let K be a separable closure of K.

Why does Krasner's lemma matter?

Because it connects several mathematics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Krasner's lemma?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Krasner's lemma.

Tags

  • Field theory
  • Lemmas in number theory

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