On the values of the zeta-function of an ideal class and the congruences of N. C. Ankeny, E. Artin and S. Chowla for the class number of real quadratic number fields. (Q1333254)

Let \(K\) be a real quadratic field with discriminant \(D\) and let \(p\) be an odd prime. For the fundamental unit \(\varepsilon_ 0 >1\) of \(K\), define positive integers \(T\) and \(U\) by the formula \(\varepsilon= \varepsilon_ 0^{1- \chi(p)p}= (T+ U\sqrt{D}) /2\), where \(\chi\) denotes the non- trivial Dirichlet character of \(K\). The author finds a congruence mod \(p\) relating \(\varepsilon\) to the zeta-function \(\zeta(s,{\mathfrak K})\) of an ideal class \({\mathfrak K}\) of \(K\), in fact, to \(\zeta (2-p,{\mathfrak K})\). From this he deduces the following congruence for the class number \(h_ D\) of \(K\): \[ p^{-1} (p- \chi(p)) N_{K/\mathbb{Q}} (\varepsilon) TUh_ D\equiv 2B_{p-1,\chi} \pmod p,\tag \(*\) \] where \(B_{n,\chi}\) stands for the generalized Bernoulli number (for \(p= 3\), the left hand side has to be modified). If \(p\mid D\), this congruence reduces to the famous congruence by N. C. Ankeny, E. Artin and S. Chowla. Finally, the author gives an alternate proof for \((*)\) using the \(p\)-adic class number formula.