On the indices \((E_ k\,:\,E_ k\cap N_{K/k}K)\) for regular Kummer extensions \(K/k\) (Q912914)

The index of the subgroup of units which are norms in the group of all units of a field occurs in the familiar formula for the number of ambiguous classes of a cyclic extension. If \(\ell\) is an odd regular prime, \(k\) is the \(\ell\)-th cyclotomic field and \(K=k({\root\ell\of p})\) where \(p\) is a prime then the author considers the value of the index \((E_ k : E_ k\cap N_{K/k}(K))=\ell^{\rho (p)}\). It is shown that if \(p^{\ell -1}\not\equiv 1\pmod{\ell^ 2}\) then \(\rho (p)=1\) while if \(p^{\ell -1}\equiv 1\pmod{\ell^ 2}\) then \(\rho (p)=0\) or \(1\). Moreover, if \(\ell=3\) or the order of \(p\) modulo \(\ell\) is even for \(\ell \geq 5\) then \(\rho (p)=0\). Additional criteria and examples which satisfy the criteria are given for \(\rho (p)=0.\) Some of these results had been obtained by the author previously [cf. Acta Arith. 44, 47--58 (1984; Zbl 0501.12005)].