Visibly irreducible polynomials over finite fields

Abstract

H. Lenstra has pointed out that a cubic polynomial of the form (x-a)(x-b)(x-c) + r(x-d)(x-e), where {a,b,c,d,e} is some permutation of {0,1,2,3,4}, is irreducible modulo 5 because every possible linear factor divides one summand but not the other. We classify polynomials over finite fields that admit an irreducibility proof with this structure.

arXiv comment11 pages. To appear in the American Mathematical Monthly