Function: polgalois
Section: number_fields
C-Name: polgalois
Prototype: Gp
Help: polgalois(T): Galois group of the polynomial T (see manual for group
coding). Return [n, s, k, name] where n is the group order, s the signature,
k the index and name is the GAP4 name of the transitive group.
Doc: \idx{Galois} group of the non-constant
polynomial $T\in\Q[X]$. In the present version \vers, $T$ must be irreducible
and the degree $d$ of $T$ must be less than or equal to 7. If the
\tet{galdata} package has been installed, degrees 8, 9, 10 and 11 are also
implemented. By definition, if $K = \Q[x]/(T)$, this computes the action of
the Galois group of the Galois closure of $K$ on the $d$ distinct roots of
$T$, up to conjugacy (corresponding to different root orderings).
The output is a 4-component vector $[n,s,k,name]$ with the
following meaning: $n$ is the cardinality of the group, $s$ is its signature
($s=1$ if the group is a subgroup of the alternating group $A_d$, $s=-1$
otherwise) and name is a character string containing name of the transitive
group according to the GAP 4 transitive groups library by Alexander Hulpke.
$k$ is more arbitrary and the choice made up to version~2.2.3 of PARI is rather
unfortunate: for $d > 7$, $k$ is the numbering of the group among all
transitive subgroups of $S_d$, as given in ``The transitive groups of degree up
to eleven'', G.~Butler and J.~McKay, \emph{Communications in Algebra}, vol.~11,
1983,
pp.~863--911 (group $k$ is denoted $T_k$ there). And for $d \leq 7$, it was ad
hoc, so as to ensure that a given triple would denote a unique group.
Specifically, for polynomials of degree $d\leq 7$, the groups are coded as
follows, using standard notations
\smallskip
In degree 1: $S_1=[1,1,1]$.
\smallskip
In degree 2: $S_2=[2,-1,1]$.
\smallskip
In degree 3: $A_3=C_3=[3,1,1]$, $S_3=[6,-1,1]$.
\smallskip
In degree 4: $C_4=[4,-1,1]$, $V_4=[4,1,1]$, $D_4=[8,-1,1]$, $A_4=[12,1,1]$,
$S_4=[24,-1,1]$.
\smallskip
In degree 5: $C_5=[5,1,1]$, $D_5=[10,1,1]$, $M_{20}=[20,-1,1]$,
$A_5=[60,1,1]$, $S_5=[120,-1,1]$.
\smallskip
In degree 6: $C_6=[6,-1,1]$, $S_3=[6,-1,2]$, $D_6=[12,-1,1]$, $A_4=[12,1,1]$,
$G_{18}=[18,-1,1]$, $S_4^-=[24,-1,1]$, $A_4\times C_2=[24,-1,2]$,
$S_4^+=[24,1,1]$, $G_{36}^-=[36,-1,1]$, $G_{36}^+=[36,1,1]$,
$S_4\times C_2=[48,-1,1]$, $A_5=PSL_2(5)=[60,1,1]$, $G_{72}=[72,-1,1]$,
$S_5=PGL_2(5)=[120,-1,1]$, $A_6=[360,1,1]$, $S_6=[720,-1,1]$.
\smallskip
In degree 7: $C_7=[7,1,1]$, $D_7=[14,-1,1]$, $M_{21}=[21,1,1]$,
$M_{42}=[42,-1,1]$, $PSL_2(7)=PSL_3(2)=[168,1,1]$, $A_7=[2520,1,1]$,
$S_7=[5040,-1,1]$.
\smallskip
This is deprecated and obsolete, but for reasons of backward compatibility,
we cannot change this behavior yet. So you can use the default
\tet{new_galois_format} to switch to a consistent naming scheme, namely $k$ is
always the standard numbering of the group among all transitive subgroups of
$S_n$. If this default is in effect, the above groups will be coded as:
\smallskip
In degree 1: $S_1=[1,1,1]$.
\smallskip
In degree 2: $S_2=[2,-1,1]$.
\smallskip
In degree 3: $A_3=C_3=[3,1,1]$, $S_3=[6,-1,2]$.
\smallskip
In degree 4: $C_4=[4,-1,1]$, $V_4=[4,1,2]$, $D_4=[8,-1,3]$, $A_4=[12,1,4]$,
$S_4=[24,-1,5]$.
\smallskip
In degree 5: $C_5=[5,1,1]$, $D_5=[10,1,2]$, $M_{20}=[20,-1,3]$,
$A_5=[60,1,4]$, $S_5=[120,-1,5]$.
\smallskip
In degree 6: $C_6=[6,-1,1]$, $S_3=[6,-1,2]$, $D_6=[12,-1,3]$, $A_4=[12,1,4]$,
$G_{18}=[18,-1,5]$, $A_4\times C_2=[24,-1,6]$, $S_4^+=[24,1,7]$,
$S_4^-=[24,-1,8]$, $G_{36}^-=[36,-1,9]$, $G_{36}^+=[36,1,10]$,
$S_4\times C_2=[48,-1,11]$, $A_5=PSL_2(5)=[60,1,12]$, $G_{72}=[72,-1,13]$,
$S_5=PGL_2(5)=[120,-1,14]$, $A_6=[360,1,15]$, $S_6=[720,-1,16]$.
\smallskip
In degree 7: $C_7=[7,1,1]$, $D_7=[14,-1,2]$, $M_{21}=[21,1,3]$,
$M_{42}=[42,-1,4]$, $PSL_2(7)=PSL_3(2)=[168,1,5]$, $A_7=[2520,1,6]$,
$S_7=[5040,-1,7]$.
\smallskip
\misctitle{Warning} The method used is that of resolvent polynomials and is
sensitive to the current precision. The precision is updated internally but,
in very rare cases, a wrong result may be returned if the initial precision
was not sufficient.
Variant: To enable the new format in library mode,
set the global variable \tet{new_galois_format} to $1$.