A simple proof of Eisenstein's reciprocity law from Stickelberger's theorem (Q1076721)

Let \(\ell\) be an odd prime number and set \(\zeta_{\ell}=\exp (2\pi i/\ell)\). The ring of integers in the cyclotomic field \({\mathbb{Q}}(\zeta_{\ell})\) is denoted by \({\mathbb{Z}}[\zeta_{\ell}]\). An element \(\alpha\) in \({\mathbb{Z}}[\zeta_{\ell}]\) is said to be primary if it is prime to \(\ell\) and congruent to a rational integer modulo \((1- \zeta_{\ell})^ 2\). Let \(\chi_{{\mathfrak a}}(x)=(\frac{x}{{\mathfrak a}})_{\ell}\) be the usual \(\ell\)-th power residue symbol in \({\mathbb{Z}}[\zeta_{\ell}]\) [cf. \textit{H. Hasse}, Bericht über neuere Untersuchungen und Probleme aus der Theorie der algebraischen Zahlkörper. Teil II: Reziprozitätsgesetz (''Zahlbericht II'') (2. Aufl. 1965; Zbl 0138.03202)]. For a principal ideal \({\mathfrak a}=(\alpha)\), we write \(\chi_{{\mathfrak a}}=\chi_{\alpha}\). Eisenstein's reciprocity law asserts that \(\chi_{a}(\alpha)=\chi_{\alpha}(a)\) for a rational integer \(a\) and a primary non-unit element \(\alpha\) in \({\mathbb{Z}}[\zeta_{\ell}]\) prime to \(a.\) In the present paper, the authors give a simple proof of this reciprocity law by using a well-known identity involving Gauss and Jacobi sums which is essentially due to \textit{L. Stickelberger}'s theorem [Math. Ann. 37, 321--367 (1890; JFM 22.0100.01)].