This was on my final, and I couldn't get it entriely.
Prove that \(\displaystyle \L \,\, \,\, \bigcup_{k \ge 0} GF\(p^k\) \,\, \,\,\) is a field.
So many thoughts ran though my head. 1) Induct on k? 2) Try a proof by contradiction? 3) Show directly that it is a unitary, commutative ring with all non-zero elements being units?
This idea also came to me, but I felt like I was digging myself into a hole:
If d∣n then GF(pd) is a subfield of GF(pn). And hence all fields GF(pk) with k<n would be subfields of GF(pn!) and hence there is always some "larger finite field" which contains all other fields in the union chain. I'm not sure where to go from here with this.
After spending a few minutes on each possibility, I gave up. Any ideas?
Prove that \(\displaystyle \L \,\, \,\, \bigcup_{k \ge 0} GF\(p^k\) \,\, \,\,\) is a field.
So many thoughts ran though my head. 1) Induct on k? 2) Try a proof by contradiction? 3) Show directly that it is a unitary, commutative ring with all non-zero elements being units?
This idea also came to me, but I felt like I was digging myself into a hole:
If d∣n then GF(pd) is a subfield of GF(pn). And hence all fields GF(pk) with k<n would be subfields of GF(pn!) and hence there is always some "larger finite field" which contains all other fields in the union chain. I'm not sure where to go from here with this.
After spending a few minutes on each possibility, I gave up. Any ideas?