On alternating and symmetric groups as Galois groups

Fix an integern≧3. We show that the alternating groupA _n appears as Galois group over any Hilbertian field of characteristic different from 2. In characteristic 2, we prove the same whenn is odd. We show that any quadratic extension of Hilbertian fields of characteristic different from 2 can be embedded in anS _n-extension (i.e. a Galois extension with the symmetric groupS _n as Galois group). Forn≠6, it will follow thatA _n has the so-called GAR-property over any field of characteristic different from 2. Finally, we show that any polynomialf=X ⁿ+…+a₁X+a₀ with coefficients in a Hilbertian fieldK whose characteristic doesn’t dividen(n-1) can be changed into anS _n-polynomialf ^* (i.e the Galois group off ^* overK Gal(f ^*, K), isS _n) by a suitable replacement of the last two coefficienta ₀ anda ₁. These results are all shown using the Newton polygon. The author acknowledges the financial support provided through the European Community’s Human Potential Programme under contract HPRN-CT-2000-00114, GTEM.