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I'm to prove the following statement: $[\mathbb{Q}(\zeta_n): \mathbb{Q}] = \phi(n)$.

I found a proof for $n=p^k$ for prime $p$ and integer $k$, but I'm not sure how to generalize this to all positive integers $n$. The proof used a polynomial $q_{p^k}(x)=\frac{x^{p^k}-1}{x^{p^{k-1}}-1}$, then Eisenstein's Irreducibility Criterion by substituting $x=y+1$ to eventually show that this is irreducible.

I'm just not sure how I can change this proof for a general $n$. A lot of the proof was reliant on the fact that $n=p^k$. For example, in $q_n(x)$, what would the denominator be, because $p^{k-1}$ doesn't translate well for a general value $n$. Thanks!

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Let's prove a general result:

Let $\Phi_n\in\mathbb{Z}[t]$ the nth-cyclotmic polynimoial, which is irreducible in rationals, and the Galois group $G$ of this polynomial over rationals. We claim that $G\cong\mathbb{Z}_{n}^*$.

Since the roots of $\Phi_n$ are the primitive nth-roots of the unity, lets say $\zeta^{m_1},\cdots,\zeta^{m_t}$, where $t=\phi(n)$ because there are by definition of phi-function $\phi(n)$ coprime numbers with $n$ less than it. So the Galois group $G$ is formed by the automorphisms $\tau_k$ with $1\leq k\leq t$ such as $\tau_k(\zeta)=\zeta^{m_k}$. So the homomorphism $$\gamma\;:\; G\to \mathbb{Z}_n^*\;, \tau_k\to [m_k]_n$$ is an isomorphism. Since the splitting field of cyclotomical polynomial is $\mathbb{Q}(\zeta)$ for a $\zeta$ nth-primitve root of unity, and $ord(\mathbb{Z}_n^*)=\phi(n)$, we get the result desired.

To see that is an isomorphism:

-Well defined since $gcd(m_k,n)=1\implies [m_k]_n\in\mathbb{Z}_n^*$.

-Is an homomorphism: $$(\tau_k\cdot\tau_l)(\zeta)=\tau_l(\tau_k(\zeta))=\zeta^{m_l\cdot m_k}$$

-The injectivity : Lets $\tau_k,\tau_l\in G$ with $1\leq k,l\leq t$ and $k\not =l$. So $\gamma(\tau_k)=[m_k]$ and $\gamma(\tau_l)=[m_l]$, but $[m_k]=[m_l]\iff m_k\equiv m_l\;mod\;n$ which is impossible for the choosen $k$ and $l$ . The surjectivity follows from that the degree of the cyclotomical polynomila of nth-order is $\phi(n)$.

To see the proof of the irreducibility of cyclotomical polynomial of any order just check this great answer: showing that $n$th cyclotomic polynomial $\Phi_n(x)$ is irreducible over $\mathbb{Q}$