English

Galois groups of random polynomials over the rational function field

Number Theory 2024-11-25 v2

Abstract

For a fixed prime power qq and natural number dd we consider a random polynomial f=xn+an1(t)xn1++a1(t)x+a0(t)Fq[t][x]f=x^n+a_{n-1}(t)x^{n-1}+\ldots+a_1(t)x+a_0(t)\in\mathbb F_q[t][x] with aia_i drawn uniformly and independently at random from the set of all polynomials in Fq[t]\mathbb F_q[t] of degree d\le d. We show that with probability tending to 1 as nn\to\infty the Galois group GfG_f of ff over Fq(t)\mathbb F_q(t) is isomorphic to Snk×CS_{n-k}\times C, where CC is cyclic, kk and C|C| are small quantities with a simple explicit dependence on ff. As a corollary we deduce that P(Gf=Snf\mboxirreducible)1\mathbb P(G_f=S_n\,|\,f\mbox{ irreducible})\to 1 as nn\to\infty. Thus we are able to overcome the SnS_n versus AnA_n ambiguity in the most natural small box random polynomial model over Fq[t]\mathbb F_q[t], which has not been achieved over Z\mathbb Z so far.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2403.11943,
  title  = {Galois groups of random polynomials over the rational function field},
  author = {Alexei Entin},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2403.11943},
  year   = {2024}
}

Comments

v2: added some references

R2 v1 2026-06-28T15:24:29.683Z