Example for numerical determination of units (Q2524256)

This paper sets out in full a method, adumbrated in a previous note by the author [Math. Ann. 166, 103--105 (1966; Zbl 0139.28003)] for finding the units of a totally real cubic field. The method is based an the author's ``Theorie der Netze'' [Math. Ann. 149, 361--418 (1963; Zbl 0112.27603)] and consists in the construction, following rather complicated rules, of a chain of matrices: when a matrix appears for the second time in the chain, a unit can be determined. To find a second independent unit a similar procedure is followed. Three examples are worked out in detail: in every ease one could obtain the units more easily by existing tentative methods (e. g. by consideration of the norms of some integers of the form \(\theta + k\), where \(\theta\) defines the field), but the author's method might be more advantageous for automatic computation: surprisingly, this feature of it is not mentioned.