Hilbert's irreducibility theorem for prime degree and general polynomials (Q1288506): Difference between revisions

For an irreducible polynomial \(f(X,t)\in{\mathbb Q}[X,t]\), there are several statements about the density of the set \({\mathcal R}\) of integers \(t_0\) such that \(f(X,t_0)\) becomes reducible. The paper goes in a different direction, and shows that \({\mathcal R}\) is \textit{finite} under some conditions. Call a polynomial \(f(X,t)\) \textit{general} if the Galois group of \(f(X,t)\) over \({\mathbb Q}(t)\) is the full symmetric group. The author shows that, if either \(\deg_X f\) is a prime \(\neq 5\) or if \(f\) is general and \(\deg_X f\neq 5\), then \(f(X,t_0)\) is irreducible for all but finitely many \(t_0\in{\mathbb Z}\) unless the curve \(f(X,t)=0\) has infinitely many points \((x_0,t_0)\in{\mathbb Q}\times{\mathbb Z}\).