A criterion for a certain type of imaginary quadratic fields to have 3-ranks of the ideal class groups greater than one (Q1281657)

The author establishes a criterion for determining when the 3-rank of the ideal class group of a particular type of imaginary quadratic number field is greater than one. The main theorem is stated as follows: Let \(D\) be a negative square-free integer which is congruent to 1(mod 3). Assume that a fundamental unit \(\varepsilon\) of the real quadratic number field \(\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt{(-3D)})\) satisfies the following condition: \(\text{Tr}_{\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt{(-3D)})/\mathbb{Q}}(\varepsilon)\) is congruent to \(+2\) or \(-2\pmod 9\) and is not congruent to \(+2\) or \(-2\pmod{81}\) (Tr refers to the trace of the corresponding field extension). Then the 3-rank of the ideal class group of \(\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt D)\) is greater than one if and only if there exists a pair of relatively prime integers \(u\) and \(w\) with the following three properties: (1) \(4w^3-27Du^2\) is a square. (3) \(g(z)=z^3-Dwz-D^2u\) is irreducible over \(\mathbb{Q}\). (3) 3 divides \(u\), and \(w\) is congruent to \(1\pmod 3\). The author makes use of the decomposition and ramification of primes in various cubic extensions as well as Cardano's formula in order to prove the above theorem. A table is furnished which shows all imaginary quadratic number fields \(\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt D))\), \(D\) greater than \(-10^6\), which have an ideal class group with 3-rank greater than one, where \(D\) is a negative square free integer which is congruent to \(1\pmod 3\).