A complete parametrization of cyclic field extensions of 2-power degree (Q1313572)

Let \(q\) be a prime power, \(\zeta\) a primitive \(q\)-th root of unity, \(K\) a field of characteristic zero, \(G\) the cyclic group of order \(q\). If \(\text{Gal} (K[\zeta]/K)\) is cyclic, then there is a generic polynomial for all Galois extensions of \(K\) with group \(G\): that is, a polynomial \(P\) in \(K(T_ 0,\dots, T_ n)[X]\) for some \(n\) so that for any field \(L\) with \(\text{Gal} (L/K)=G\), there exist \(t_ 0,\dots, t_ n\) in \(K\) such that \(P(t_ 0, \dots,t_ n,X)\) is irreducible in \(K[X]\) of degree \(q\) and has splitting field \(L\). This theorem of \textit{D. J. Saltman} [Adv. Math. 43, 250-283 (1982; Zbl 0484.12004)] fails if \(q=2^ n\), \(n\geq 3\), as Saltman showed. For \(q= 2^ n\), the authors consider the group \(S_ K\) which is the quotient of the group of units \(c\) of \(K(\zeta)\) with norm \(N_{K(\zeta) /K}(c) =1\), modulo the subgroup consisting of \(\{ (x^ \tau/ x) (w^ \sigma/w)\mid x\), \(w\) in \(K(\zeta)\}\) where \(\tau(\zeta)= \zeta^{-1}\), \(\sigma(\zeta)= \zeta^ 3\). (The analogue of \(S_ K\) for \(q\) odd is trivial by Hilbert's theorem 90.) If \(K\) is a number field, \(S_ K\) is an elementary abelian 2-group. The authors define a function \(\pi\) from the set of cyclic extensions of \(K\) (inside a given algebraic closure of \(K\)) to \(S_ K\) and show that for each \(\vartheta\) in \(S_ K\), there is a polynomial \(P_ \vartheta (T_ 0, \dots,T_ n, X)\) of degree \(q\) in \(X\) which is generic for all \(L\) with \(\pi(L)= \vartheta\). For \(\vartheta=1\) the polynomial \(P_ \vartheta\) is described explicitly and extends work of \textit{G. W. Smith} [Commun. Algebra 19, 3367-3391 (1991; Zbl 0747.12003)].