TITLE: Irreducibility of a polynomial if it has no root (Capelli)
QUESTION [14 upvotes]: Let $F$ be a field of arbitrary characteristic, $a\in F$, and $p$ a prime number. Show that $$f(X)=X^p-a$$ is irreducible in $F[X]$ if it has no root in $F$.

This answer to a related question mentions the result is due to Capelli.
I can prove the result if $F$ has characteristic $p$ as follows.  Suppose $f$ is reducible:
$f(X)=g(X)h(X)$ with $g(X)$ an irreducible factor of degree $m$, $1\le m<p$.
Then if $\alpha$ is a root of $g$ in some extension field $K$ of $F$, we have
$$f(X)=X^p-\alpha^p=(X-\alpha)^p$$
so its divisor $g(X)$ must be of the form $(X-\alpha)^m$. Since the coefficient of $X^{m-1}$ in $g$ is in $F$, we have $m\alpha\in F$.  So $\alpha\in F$ because $m$ is invertible modulo $p$.
How would you show the result in other characteristics?

REPLY [2 votes]: Suppose the characteristic of $F$ is not $p$.
Let $\Omega$ be the algebraic closure of $F$.
By the assumption on the characteristic of $F$, $\Omega$ has a primitive $p$-th root of unity $\zeta$.
Let $\alpha$ be a root of $x^p - a$ in $\Omega$.
Since $\alpha$ is not contained in $F$, $\alpha \neq 0$.
Hence $\alpha, \alpha\zeta, \cdots, \alpha\zeta^{p-1}$ are distinct roots of $x^p - a$.
Suppose $x^p - a = g(x)h(x)$, where $g(x)$ and $h(x)$ are monic polynomials in $F[x]$ and $1 \le$ deg $g(x) \lt p$. Let $k =$ deg $g(x)$.
Let $b$ be the constant term of $g(x)$.
Then $b = (-1)^k \alpha^k \zeta^m$, where $m$ is an integer.
Hence $b^p = (-1)^{kp} a^k$
If $(-1)^{kp} = 1$, then let $c = b$.
Suppose $(-1)^{kp} = -1$.
If $p$ is odd, then let $c = -b$.
If $p = 2$, then let $c = b$.
In either case, $c^p = a^k$.
Let $\Gamma$ be the multiplicative group of $F$.
Let $\Gamma^p = \{x^p |\ x \in \Gamma\}$.
$\Gamma^p$ is a subgroup of $\Gamma$.
Let $\pi$ be the canonical homomorophism $\Gamma \rightarrow \Gamma/\Gamma^p$.
Let $\beta = \pi(a)$.
Since $x^p - a$ does not have a root in $F$, $\beta \neq 1$.
On the other hand, $\beta^p = \pi(a^p) = 1$.
Hence the order of $\beta$ is $p$.
However, since $c^p = a^k$, $\beta^k = 1$.
This is a contradiction.
Hence $x^p - a$ is irreducible in $F[x]$.