A note on the class group of composita (Q1176397)

Let \(K_ 1,K_ 2\) be Galois extensions of \(\mathbb{Q}\), and set \(K=K_ 1K_ 2\). Let \(C_ K\) denote the ideal class group of \(K\). In the present paper the author studies the relationship between \(C_{K_ 1}\), \(C_{K_ 2}\), and \(C_ K\). The first result of the paper is the following: Suppose that for each finite prime of \(\mathbb{Q}\) its ramification indices in \(K_ 1\) and \(K_ 2\) are relatively prime. Then the natural map \(N_{K/K_ 1}\oplus N_{K/K_ 2}:C_ K\to C_{K_ 1}\oplus C_{K_ 2}\) given by relative norm maps is surjective. The result is deduced from basic facts about Hilbert class field. Next the author investigates the kernel of \(N_{K/K_ 1}\oplus N_{K/K_ 2}\), and proves, in the case when \(K_ 1\) is a real quadratic field and \(K_ 2\) is an imaginary quadratic field with relatively prime discriminants, that the kernel of \(N_{K/K_ 1}\oplus N_{K/K_ 2}\) is the subgroup of \(C_ K\) fixed by \(\text{Gal}(K/K_ 3)\), where \(K_ 3\) denotes the quadratic subfield of \(K\) distinct from \(K_ 1\) and \(K_ 2\). The proof uses the fact that the class number of an imaginary bi-quadratic field is either the product of the class numbers of the three quadratic subfields or half that number.