On cubic equations over $P-$adic field

Abstract

We provide a solvability criteria for a depressed cubic equation in domains $\bz_p^{*},\bz_p,\bq_p$. We show that, in principal, the Cardano method is not always applicable for such equations. Moreover, the numbers of solutions of the depressed cubic equation in domains $\bz_p^{*},\bz_p,\bq_p$ are provided. Since $\bbf_p\subset\bq_p,$ we generalize J.-P. Serre's \cite{JPSJ} and Z.H.Sun's \cite{ZHS1,ZHS3} results concerning with depressed cubic equations over the finite field $\bbf_p$. Finally, all depressed cubic equations, for which the Cardano method could be applied, are described and the $p-$adic Cardano formula is provided for those cubic equations.