On a Sequence of Nonsolvable Quintic Polynomials
Jennifer A. Johnstone and Blair K. Spearman
Mathematics and Statistics
University of British Columbia Okanagan
Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7
Canada
Abstract:
Aleksandrov, Kolmogorov and Lavrent'ev state that
x5 + x - a is nonsolvable
for a = 3,4,5,7,8,9,10,11,... . In other words, these polynomials have a
nonsolvable Galois group. A full explanation of this sequence requires
consideration of both reducible and irreducible solvable quintic polynomials
of the form x5 + x - a.
All omissions from this sequence due to solvability
are characterized. This requires the determination of the rational points on
a genus 3 curve.
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Received November 11 2008;
revised version received February 13 2009.
Published in Journal of Integer Sequences, February 15 2009.
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