diff --git a/src/data/polynomial.lean b/src/data/polynomial.lean
index 4ec0bee65ceeb..0b894cbe6ed48 100644
--- a/src/data/polynomial.lean
+++ b/src/data/polynomial.lean
@@ -833,6 +833,11 @@ polynomial.ext.2 (λ n, nat.cases_on n (by simp)
       by simp [coeff_eq_zero_of_degree_lt this, coeff_C, nat.succ_ne_zero, coeff_X,
         nat.succ_inj', @eq_comm ℕ 0])))
 
+lemma eq_X_add_C_of_degree_eq_one (h : degree p = 1) :
+  p = C (p.leading_coeff) * X + C (p.coeff 0) :=
+(eq_X_add_C_of_degree_le_one (show degree p ≤ 1, from h ▸ le_refl _)).trans
+  (by simp [leading_coeff, nat_degree_eq_of_degree_eq_some h])
+
 theorem degree_C_mul_X_pow_le (r : α) (n : ℕ) : degree (C r * X^n) ≤ n :=
 begin
   rw [← single_eq_C_mul_X],
@@ -1570,6 +1575,9 @@ begin
   exact units.coe_ne_zero _
 end
 
+lemma degree_eq_degree_of_associated (h : associated p q) : degree p = degree q :=
+let ⟨u, hu⟩ := h in by simp [hu.symm]
+
 end integral_domain
 
 section field
diff --git a/src/field_theory/splitting_field.lean b/src/field_theory/splitting_field.lean
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..ca57a5426f2ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/field_theory/splitting_field.lean
@@ -0,0 +1,174 @@
+/-
+Copyright (c) 2018 Chris Hughes. All rights reserved.
+Released under Apache 2.0 license as described in the file LICENSE.
+Authors: Chris Hughes
+
+Definition of splitting fields, and definition of homomorphism into any field that splits
+-/
+
+import ring_theory.adjoin_root ring_theory.unique_factorization_domain
+
+universes u v w
+
+variables {α : Type u} {β : Type v} {γ : Type w}
+
+namespace polynomial
+
+noncomputable theory
+local attribute [instance, priority 0] classical.prop_decidable
+variables [discrete_field α] [discrete_field β] [discrete_field γ]
+open polynomial adjoin_root
+
+section splits
+
+variables (i : α → β) [is_field_hom i]
+
+/-- a polynomial `splits` iff it is zero or all of its irreducible factors have `degree` 1 -/
+def splits (f : polynomial α) : Prop :=
+f = 0 ∨ ∀ {g : polynomial β}, irreducible g → g ∣ f.map i → degree g = 1
+
+@[simp] lemma splits_zero : splits i (0 : polynomial α) := or.inl rfl
+
+@[simp] lemma splits_C (a : α) : splits i (C a) :=
+if ha : a = 0 then ha.symm ▸ (@C_0 α _ _).symm ▸ splits_zero i
+else
+have hia : i a ≠ 0, from mt ((is_add_group_hom.injective_iff i).1
+  (is_field_hom.injective i) _) ha,
+or.inr $ λ g hg ⟨p, hp⟩, absurd hg.1 (classical.not_not.2 (is_unit_iff_degree_eq_zero.2 $
+  by have := congr_arg degree hp;
+    simp [degree_C hia, @eq_comm (with_bot ℕ) 0,
+      nat.with_bot.add_eq_zero_iff] at this; clear _fun_match; tautology))
+
+lemma splits_of_degree_eq_one {f : polynomial α} (hf : degree f = 1) : splits i f :=
+or.inr $ λ g hg ⟨p, hp⟩,
+  by have := congr_arg degree hp;
+  simp [nat.with_bot.add_eq_one_iff, hf, @eq_comm (with_bot ℕ) 1,
+    mt is_unit_iff_degree_eq_zero.2 hg.1] at this;
+  clear _fun_match; tauto
+
+lemma splits_of_degree_le_one {f : polynomial α} (hf : degree f ≤ 1) : splits i f :=
+begin
+  cases h : degree f with n,
+  { rw [degree_eq_bot.1 h]; exact splits_zero i },
+  { cases n with n,
+    { rw [eq_C_of_degree_le_zero (trans_rel_right (≤) h (le_refl _))];
+      exact splits_C _ _ },
+    { have hn : n = 0,
+      { rw h at hf,
+        cases n, { refl }, { exact absurd hf dec_trivial } },
+      exact splits_of_degree_eq_one _ (by rw [h, hn]; refl) } }
+end
+
+lemma splits_mul {f g : polynomial α} (hf : splits i f) (hg : splits i g) : splits i (f * g) :=
+if h : f * g = 0 then by simp [h]
+else or.inr $ λ p hp hpf, ((principal_ideal_domain.irreducible_iff_prime.1 hp).2.2 _ _
+    (show p ∣ map i f * map i g, by convert hpf; rw map_mul)).elim
+  (hf.resolve_left (λ hf, by simpa [hf] using h) hp)
+  (hg.resolve_left (λ hg, by simpa [hg] using h) hp)
+
+lemma splits_of_splits_mul {f g : polynomial α} (hfg : f * g ≠ 0) (h : splits i (f * g)) :
+  splits i f ∧ splits i g :=
+⟨or.inr $ λ g hgi hg, or.resolve_left h hfg hgi (by rw map_mul; exact dvd.trans hg (dvd_mul_right _ _)),
+ or.inr $ λ g hgi hg, or.resolve_left h hfg hgi (by rw map_mul; exact dvd.trans hg (dvd_mul_left _ _))⟩
+
+lemma splits_map_iff (j : β → γ) [is_field_hom j] {f : polynomial α} :
+  splits j (f.map i) ↔ splits (λ x, j (i x)) f :=
+by simp [splits, polynomial.map_map]
+
+lemma exists_root_of_splits {f : polynomial α} (hs : splits i f) (hf0 : degree f ≠ 0) :
+  ∃ x, eval₂ i x f = 0 :=
+if hf0 : f = 0 then ⟨37, by simp [hf0]⟩
+else
+  let ⟨g, hg⟩ := is_noetherian_ring.exists_irreducible_factor
+    principal_ideal_domain.is_noetherian_ring
+    (show ¬ is_unit (f.map i), from mt is_unit_iff_degree_eq_zero.1 (by rwa degree_map))
+    (by rw [ne.def, map_eq_zero]; exact hf0) in
+  let ⟨x, hx⟩ := exists_root_of_degree_eq_one (hs.resolve_left hf0 hg.1 hg.2) in
+  let ⟨i, hi⟩ := hg.2 in
+  ⟨x, by rw [← eval_map, hi, eval_mul, show _ = _, from hx, zero_mul]⟩
+
+lemma exists_multiset_of_splits {f : polynomial α} : splits i f →
+  ∃ (s : multiset β), f.map i = C (i f.leading_coeff) *
+  (s.map (λ a : β, (X : polynomial β) - C a)).prod :=
+suffices splits id (f.map i) → ∃ s : multiset β, f.map i =
+  (C (f.map i).leading_coeff) * (s.map (λ a : β, (X : polynomial β) - C a)).prod,
+by rwa [splits_map_iff, leading_coeff_map i] at this,
+is_noetherian_ring.irreducible_induction_on principal_ideal_domain.is_noetherian_ring (f.map i)
+  (λ _, ⟨{37}, by simp [is_ring_hom.map_zero i]⟩)
+  (λ u hu _, ⟨0,
+    by conv_lhs { rw eq_C_of_degree_eq_zero (is_unit_iff_degree_eq_zero.1 hu) };
+      simp [leading_coeff, nat_degree_eq_of_degree_eq_some (is_unit_iff_degree_eq_zero.1 hu)]⟩)
+  (λ f p hf0 hp ih hfs,
+    have hpf0 : p * f ≠ 0, from mul_ne_zero (nonzero_of_irreducible hp) hf0,
+    let ⟨s, hs⟩ := ih (splits_of_splits_mul _ hpf0 hfs).2 in
+    ⟨-(p * norm_unit p).coeff 0 :: s,
+      have hp1 : degree p = 1, from hfs.resolve_left hpf0 hp (by simp),
+      begin
+        rw [multiset.map_cons, multiset.prod_cons, leading_coeff_mul, C_mul, mul_assoc,
+          mul_left_comm (C f.leading_coeff), ← hs, ← mul_assoc, domain.mul_right_inj hf0],
+        conv_lhs {rw eq_X_add_C_of_degree_eq_one hp1},
+        simp only [mul_add, coe_norm_unit (nonzero_of_irreducible hp), mul_comm p, coeff_neg,
+          C_neg, sub_eq_add_neg, neg_neg, coeff_C_mul, (mul_assoc _ _ _).symm, C_mul.symm,
+          mul_inv_cancel (show p.leading_coeff ≠ 0, from mt leading_coeff_eq_zero.1
+            (nonzero_of_irreducible hp)), one_mul],
+      end⟩)
+
+section UFD
+
+local attribute [instance, priority 0] principal_ideal_domain.to_unique_factorization_domain
+local infix ` ~ᵤ ` : 50 := associated
+
+open unique_factorization_domain associates
+
+lemma splits_of_exists_multiset {f : polynomial α} {s : multiset β}
+  (hs : f.map i = C (i f.leading_coeff) * (s.map (λ a : β, (X : polynomial β) - C a)).prod) :
+  splits i f :=
+if hf0 : f = 0 then or.inl hf0
+else
+  or.inr $ λ p hp hdp,
+    have ht : multiset.rel associated
+      (factors (f.map i)) (s.map (λ a : β, (X : polynomial β) - C a)) :=
+    unique
+      (λ p hp, irreducible_factors (mt (map_eq_zero i).1 hf0) _ hp)
+      (λ p, by simp [@eq_comm _ _ p, -sub_eq_add_neg,
+          irreducible_of_degree_eq_one (degree_X_sub_C _)] {contextual := tt})
+      (associated.symm $ calc _ ~ᵤ f.map i :
+        ⟨units.map C (units.mk0 (f.map i).leading_coeff
+            (mt leading_coeff_eq_zero.1 (mt (map_eq_zero i).1 hf0))),
+          by conv_rhs {rw [hs, ← leading_coeff_map i, mul_comm]}; refl⟩
+        ... ~ᵤ _ : associated.symm (unique_factorization_domain.factors_prod (by simpa using hf0))),
+  let ⟨q, hq, hpq⟩ := exists_mem_factors_of_dvd (by simpa) hp hdp in
+  let ⟨q', hq', hqq'⟩ := multiset.exists_mem_of_rel_of_mem ht hq in
+  let ⟨a, ha⟩ := multiset.mem_map.1 hq' in
+  by rw [← degree_X_sub_C a, ha.2];
+    exact degree_eq_degree_of_associated (hpq.trans hqq')
+
+lemma splits_of_splits_id {f : polynomial α} : splits id f → splits i f :=
+unique_factorization_domain.induction_on_prime f (λ _, splits_zero _)
+  (λ _ hu _, splits_of_degree_le_one _
+    ((is_unit_iff_degree_eq_zero.1 hu).symm ▸ dec_trivial))
+  (λ a p ha0 hp ih hfi, splits_mul _
+    (splits_of_degree_eq_one _
+      ((splits_of_splits_mul _ (mul_ne_zero hp.1 ha0) hfi).1.resolve_left
+        hp.1 (irreducible_of_prime hp) (by rw map_id)))
+    (ih (splits_of_splits_mul _ (mul_ne_zero hp.1 ha0) hfi).2))
+
+end UFD
+
+lemma splits_iff_exists_multiset {f : polynomial α} : splits i f ↔
+  ∃ (s : multiset β), f.map i = C (i f.leading_coeff) *
+  (s.map (λ a : β, (X : polynomial β) - C a)).prod :=
+⟨exists_multiset_of_splits i, λ ⟨s, hs⟩, splits_of_exists_multiset i hs⟩
+
+lemma splits_comp_of_splits (j : β → γ) [is_field_hom j] {f : polynomial α}
+  (h : splits i f) : splits (λ x, j (i x)) f :=
+begin
+  change i with (λ x, id (i x)) at h,
+  rw [← splits_map_iff],
+  rw [← splits_map_iff i id]  at h,
+  exact splits_of_splits_id _ h
+end
+
+end splits
+
+end polynomial
diff --git a/src/ring_theory/unique_factorization_domain.lean b/src/ring_theory/unique_factorization_domain.lean
index dacb4784ea3fd..bb2ec618c2c09 100644
--- a/src/ring_theory/unique_factorization_domain.lean
+++ b/src/ring_theory/unique_factorization_domain.lean
@@ -123,6 +123,25 @@ structure unique_irreducible_factorization (α : Type*) [integral_domain α] :=
   (∀x∈f, irreducible x) → (∀x∈g, irreducible x) → f.prod ~ᵤ g.prod → multiset.rel associated f g)
 
 namespace unique_factorization_domain
+open unique_factorization_domain associated lattice
+variables [integral_domain α] [unique_factorization_domain α] [decidable_eq (associates α)]
+
+lemma exists_mem_factors_of_dvd {a p : α} (ha0 : a ≠ 0) (hp : irreducible p) : p ∣ a →
+  ∃ q ∈ factors a, p ~ᵤ q :=
+λ ⟨b, hb⟩,
+have hb0 : b ≠ 0, from λ hb0, by simp * at *,
+have multiset.rel associated (p :: factors b) (factors a),
+  from unique
+    (λ x hx, (multiset.mem_cons.1 hx).elim (λ h, h.symm ▸ hp)
+      (irreducible_factors hb0 _))
+    (irreducible_factors ha0)
+    (associated.symm $ calc multiset.prod (factors a) ~ᵤ a : factors_prod ha0
+      ... = p * b : hb
+      ... ~ᵤ multiset.prod (p :: factors b) :
+        by rw multiset.prod_cons; exact associated_mul_mul
+          (associated.refl _)
+          (associated.symm (factors_prod hb0))),
+multiset.exists_mem_of_rel_of_mem this (by simp)
 
 def of_unique_irreducible_factorization {α : Type*} [integral_domain α]
   (o : unique_irreducible_factorization α) : unique_factorization_domain α :=