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I have two questions on the Gaussian integers.

  1. Is any element in $\mathbb{Z}[i]$ the root of a monic polynomial with coefficients in $\mathbb{Z}$?
  2. Conversely, does any element in $\mathbb{Q}(i)$ that is the root of a monic polynomial with coefficients in $\mathbb{Z}$ lie in $\mathbb{Z}[i]$?

1 Answers1

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1) $a+bi$ is a root of $x^2-2ax+(a^2+b^2)=0$.

2) For the converse, consider the quadratic $x^2+bx+c$, where $b$ and $c$ are integers. If the roots are rational, they are divisors of $c$. Now we deal with the case the roots are non-real. From the quadratic formula, if the roots are non-real and in $\mathbb{Q}(i)$, they are of the shape $\frac{s\pm ti}{2}$, where $s$ and $t$ are integers.

Then $\frac{s^2+t^2}{4}=c$. Thus $s^2+t^2\equiv 0\pmod{4}$. This forces $s$ and $t$ to be even, and we are finished.

André Nicolas
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