Counting exceptional units (Q1363143)

Let \(R_k\) be the ring of integers in a fixed algebraic number field \(k\); an exceptional unit \(x\) is a unit such that \(1-x\) is also a unit. Let \(C_1(n,r)\) denote the maximal number of exceptional units in \(R_k\) as \(k\) ranges over all number fields with fixed degree \(n\) and unit rank \(r\). In this paper the author reports computational results for fields of unit rank \(\leq 5\) and conjectures that \[ \log C_1(n,r)= r^{2/3+ o(1)} \] as \(n\) and \(r\) tend to \(\infty\). Some of the lower bounds for \(C_1(n,r)\) have been improved meanwhile by \textit{K. Wildanger} [Über das Lösen von Einheiten- und Indexformgleichungen in algebraischen Zahlkörpern mit einer Anwendung auf die Bestimmung aller ganzen Punkte einer Mordellschen Kurve, Diss. TU Berlin (1997)].