# Algebraic closure of finite field

Let $N$ be an algebraic closure of a finite field $F$. How to prove that any automorphism in $\operatorname{Gal}(N/F)$ is of infinite order?

I have shown: Letting $|F|=q$,
1) $N$ is the union of all extensions $M$ of $F$ such that $|M|=q^n$, for some $n\geq 1$.
2) $\operatorname{Gal}(N/F)$ is abelian.

-
There is, of course, one trivial counterexample. –  Gerry Myerson Mar 30 '12 at 0:33

Assume that $\sigma\in Gal(N/F)$ is of finite order $m$. Let $x\in N$. Let $k=[F(x):F]$. Let $K=GF(q^{km})$ be the unique extension of $F$ of degree $km$. Because $K$ is Galois over $F$, the restriction of $\sigma$ to $K$ is an automorphism of $K$ (there are also other simple ways of seeing that $\sigma(K)=K$). Let $L\subseteq K$ be the fixed field of $\sigma\vert_K$. The order of the restriction $\sigma\vert_K$ must be a factor of $m$, so $[K:L]\mid m$. Therefore $GF(q^k)\subset L$. Because $x\in GF(q^k)$, we may infer that $\sigma(x)=x$. As $x$ was an arbitrary element of $N$, we have shown that $\sigma$ is the identity mapping.