On the mean number of 2-torsion elements in the class groups, narrow class groups, and ideal groups of cubic orders and fields (Q498663)

Let \(K\) be a number field and \(\mathcal{O}\) an order in \(K\). Denote by \(\mathcal{I}(\mathcal{O})\), \(\mathrm{Cl}(\mathcal{O})\), and \(\mathrm{Cl}^+(\mathcal{O})\) the group of invertible fractional ideals, the class group, and the narrow class group of \(\mathcal{O}\), respectively. In case \(\mathcal{O}\) is maximal, we define the class group and narrow class group of \(K\) by \(\mathrm{Cl}(K):= \mathrm{Cl}(\mathcal{O})\) and \(\mathrm{Cl}^+(K):= \mathrm{Cl}^+(\mathcal{O})\), respectively. Let \(\mathcal{I}_2(\mathcal{O})\), \(\mathrm{Cl}_2(\mathcal{O})\), \(\mathrm{Cl}_2^+(\mathcal{O})\), \(\mathrm{Cl}_2(K)\), and \(\mathrm{Cl}_2^+(K)\) denote the \(2\)-torsion subgroups of the corresponding groups. In the paper under review, the authors obtain information regarding these groups, and some of the consequences thereof, when \(\mathcal{O}\) is a cubic order. As the authors state, these results are obtained as an application of a composition law on a prehomogeneous vector space that was investigated in [the first author, Ann. Math. (2) 159, No. 2, 865--886 (2004; Zbl 1169.11044)]. The main results are the following two theorems. Theorem 1. When the set of isomorphism classes of cubic fields satisfying any specified set of local conditions at any finite set of primes are ordered by their absolute discriminants, the following hold. {\parindent=6mm \begin{itemize}\item[(a)] The average number of 2-torsion elements in the class groups of such totally real cubic fields is \(5/4\). \item[(b)] The average number of 2-torsion elements in the (narrow) class groups of such complex cubic fields is \(3/2\). \item[(c)] The average number of 2-torsion elements in the narrow class groups of such totally real cubic fields is \(2\). \end{itemize}} For a prime \(p\) denote by \(\Sigma_p\) any set of isomorphism classes of orders in étale cubic algebras over \({\mathbb Q}_p\). The collection \((\Sigma_p)\) of local specifications is said to be \textit{acceptable} if, for all sufficiently large \(p\), the set \(\Sigma_p\) contains all maximal cubic rings over \({\mathbb Z}_p\), or at least all those that are not totally ramified at \(p\). Theorem 2. Let \((\Sigma_p)\) be any acceptable collection of local specifications, and let \(\Sigma\) denote the set of all isomorphism classes of cubic orders \(\mathcal{O}\) such that \(\mathcal{O}\otimes \mathbb Z_p\in \Sigma_p\) for all \(p\). Then, when orders in \(\Sigma\) are ordered by their absolute discriminants, the following hold. {\parindent=6mm \begin{itemize}\item[(a)] The average size of \(|\mathrm{Cl}_2(\mathcal{O})|-\frac14|\mathcal{I}_2(\mathcal{O})|\) for totally real cubic orders \(\mathcal{O}\) in \(\Sigma\) is \(1\). \item[(b)] The average size of \(|\mathrm{Cl}_2(\mathcal{O})|-\frac12|\mathcal{I}_2(\mathcal{O})|=|\mathrm{Cl}^+_2(\mathcal{O})|-\frac12|\mathcal{I}_2(\mathcal{O})|\) for complex cubic orders \(\mathcal{O}\) in \(\Sigma\) is \(1\). \item[(c)] The average size of \(|\mathrm{Cl}^+_2(\mathcal{O})|-|\mathcal{I}_2(\mathcal{O})|\) for totally real cubic orders \(\mathcal{O}\) in \(\Sigma\) is \(1\). \end{itemize}} As a result of these theorems, the following corollaries are obtained. In fact, as the authors state, a generalization of each of these corollaries is actually proved. Corollary 3. {\parindent=6mm \begin{itemize}\item[(1)] A positive proportion (at least 75 \%) of totally real cubic fields have odd class number. \item[(2)] A positive proportion (at least 50 \%) of complex cubic fields have odd class number. \end{itemize}} Corollary 7. A positive proportion (at least 50 \%) of totally real cubic fields \(K\) satisfy \(\mathrm{Cl}_2(K)\neq \mathrm{Cl}_2^+(K)\). Corollary 8. A positive proportion (at least 25 \%) of totally real cubic fields \(K\) satisfy \(\mathrm{Cl}_2(K)=\mathrm{Cl}_2^+(K)\). Corollary 9. A positive proportion (at least 50 \%) of totally real cubic fields \(K\) do not possess units of every possible signature. Corollary 10. A positive proportion (at least 75 \%) of totally real cubic fields \(K\) possess units of mixed signature. Some comparisons are made to analogous results occurring in the case of quadratic fields.