Reciprocity by resultant in \(k[t]\) (Q2190075)

This article begins with a review of the quadratic reciprocity law in the polynomial ring \({\mathbb F}_q[t]\); in such fields, the reciprocity law can be formulated using resultants; in fact, it is easily seen to follow from the equation \(\big(\frac ab\big) = \chi(\)Res\((b,a))\), where \(\chi\) is the quadratic character on \({\mathbb F}_q^\times\). The authors generalize this result to poylnomial rings over perfect procyclic fields. A perfect procyclic field \(k\) is a pair \((k,F)\), where \(k\) is a perfect field and \(F\) a topological generator of the automorphism group of \(\overline{k}/k\); such an \(F\) exists if and only if every finite subextension of \(\overline{k}/k\) is Galois and cyclic. For any natural number \(n\) such that \(k\) contains the \(n\)-th roots of unity, a residue character \(\chi_{k,n}: k^\times \longrightarrow \mu_n\) into the group of \(n\)-th roots of unity may be defined by setting \(\chi_{k,n}(\alpha) = \frac{F(\alpha^{1/n})}{\alpha^{1/n}}\). Assume that \(a\) and \(p\) are coprime polynomials in the polynomial ring \(k[t]\), and that \(p\) is irreducible of degree \(d\). Let \(l_d\) be the unique subextension of \(\overline{k}/k\), and let \(\iota: k[t]/(p) \rightarrow l_d\) be an isomorphism of \(k\)-algebras. Then \((\frac ap)_n = \chi_{{l_d},n}(\iota(a \bmod p)) \) does not depend on the choice of \(\iota\) and defines an \(n\)-th power residue symbol. The main results are the relation \(\big( \frac ab \big)_n = \chi_{k,n}\mathrm{Res}(b,a))\) for monic polynomials \(b\) and the reciprocity law \(\big( \frac ab \big)_n = \chi_{k,n}(-1)^{\deg a \cdot \deg b} \big( \frac ba \big)_n\). The article is complemented by a discussion of proofs of the ordinary quadratic reciprocity law using resultants.