Detecting Fast solvability of equations via small powerful Galois groups

Abstract

Fix an odd prime $p$, and let $F$ be a field containing a primitive $p$th root of unity. It is known that a $p$-rigid field $F$ is characterized by the property that the Galois group $G_F(p)$ of the maximal $p$-extension $F(p)/F$ is a solvable group. We give a new characterization of $p$-rigidity which says that a field $F$ is $p$-rigid precisely when two fundamental canonical quotients of the absolute Galois groups coincide. This condition is further related to analytic $p$-adic groups and to some Galois modules. When $F$ is $p$-rigid, we also show that it is possible to solve for the roots of any irreducible polynomials in $F[X]$ whose splitting field over $F$ has a $p$-power degree via non-nested radicals. We provide new direct proofs for hereditary $p$-rigidity, together with some characterizations for $G_F(p)$ -- including a complete description for such a group and for the action of it on $F(p)$ -- in the case $F$ is $p$-rigid.

25 pages, to appear in "Transactions of the AMS"