On the cosets of the \(2q\)-power group in the unit group modulo \(p\) (Q1261189)

This paper is devoted to the investigation of the ``excesses'' of the classes \(\overline{g}^{2j}\) in the set \(\{1,\dots,(p-1)/2\}\) (\(0\leq j\leq q-1\)). Here \(p\) means a prime \(\equiv 3\pmod 4\), \(p>3\), \(G_ p=(\mathbb{Z}/p\mathbb{Z})^ \times\) the unit group of \(\mathbb{Z}/p\mathbb{Z}\), and \(g\) a generator of \(G_ p\). Suppose \(q\) is an odd divisor of \(q-1\) and \(G_ p^{2q}=\{ t^{2q}\): \(t\in G_ p\}\). Then the quotient group \(G^ 2_ p/G_ p^{2q}= \{\overline{g}^{2j}\): \(0\leq j\leq q-1\}\). The ``excess'' of the class \(\overline{g}^{2j}\) in \(\{1,\dots,(p-1)/2\}\) is defined as the number \[ \Phi_ j=\#\{k:\;1\leq k\leq(p-1)/2,\;\overline {k}\in \overline {g}^{2j}\}-\# \{k:\;(p+1)/2\leq k\leq p-1,\;\overline{k}\in \overline{g}^{2j}\}. \] In this paper various relations between excesses \(\Phi_ j\) and relative class numbers of subfields \(K_{2q}\), \(K_ 2\) (\([K_{2q}:\mathbb{Q}]=2q\), \([K_ 2:\mathbb{Q}=2]\)) of the \(p\)th cyclotomic field are mentioned. Three numerical tables illustrating the results complete this article.