Cohen-Lenstra heuristics and the Spiegelungssatz: number fields (Q5960992)

\textit{H. Cohen} and \textit{H. W. Lenstra jun.} made heuristic assumptions on the probabilistic behavior of class groups of quadratic number fields and real cyclic number fields, which enable us to make precise predictions on their distribution [Number theory, Proc. Journ. arith., Noodwijkerhout/Neth. 1983, Lect. Notes Math. 1068, 33--62 (1984; Zbl 0558.12002)]. For example, for any odd prime \(p\), we can conjecture the probability that the \(p\)-rank of the class group of an imaginary (or real) quadratic number field takes a prescribed value. These are called the Cohen-Lenstra heuristics and are supported by much numerical evidence and some proven results. Later, \textit{H. Cohen} and \textit{J. Martinet} generalized them to arbitrary extensions of number fields [Math. Comput. 48, 123--137 (1987; Zbl 0627.12006); J. Reine Angew. Math. 404, 39--76 (1990; Zbl 0699.12016); Math. Comput. 63, 329--334 (1994; Zbl 0827.11067)]. \textit{P. Dutarte} proved the compatibility of the Cohen-Lenstra heuristics on probabilities on the \(3\)-rank of the class groups of quadratic number fields with a classical result of Scholz which gives a relation between those of \({\mathbb Q}(\sqrt{m})\) and \({\mathbb Q}(\sqrt{-3m})\) (\(m\) a positive squarefree integer) under some natural assumption [Publ. Math. Fac. Sci. Besançon, Théor. Nombres 1983/1984 (1984; Zbl 0576.12004)]. Now Scholz's result is known to be a special case of \textit{H.-W. Leopoldt}'s Spiegelungssatz (reflection theorem) [J. Reine Angew. Math. 199, 165--174 (1958; Zbl 0082.25402)], which compares the \(p\)-rank of the class group of \({\mathbb Q}(\sqrt{m})\) with the \(p\)-rank of the component of the class group of \({\mathbb Q}((\zeta _{p} - \zeta _{p} ^{-1}) \sqrt{m})\) corresponding to some nontrivial character, where \(\zeta _{p}\) is a primitive \(p\)th root of unity). The author generalizes Dutarte's results to every odd prime number \(p\). He proves that the conjectural probabilities on the \(p\)-rank of the class group of a quadratic number field and the \(p\)-rank of a certain subgroup of the class group of a cyclic extension of degree \(p-1\) of \({\mathbb Q}\) are compatible with the Spiegelungssatz.