Class number factors and distribution of residues (Q1378234)

Let \(G_m\) denote the group of prime residues mod \(m\), where \(m\geq 3\). The author studies the distribution of the integers in \(\{1,\dots,m-1\}\), prime to \(m\), amongst the cosets \(C\) of a given subgroup \(H\) of \(G_m\). Consider a partition of the interval \(0 \leq x < m\) into \(b\) subintervals \(I_j = [x_j,x_{j+1}) (j= 0,\dots,b-1)\), where \(x_j = jm/b\) and \(b\) is no multiple of \(m\). Let \(\theta_b(z) = j\) if \(z \in I_j\), and define the sum \(S_C^{(b)} = \sum_{k\in C} \theta_b(k)\). Assuming that \(q=[G_m:H]\) is even, the author introduces the \(b\)-division vector of \(G_m/H\) as \(T^{(b)} = (S_C^{(b)} - S^{(b)})\), where \(C\) runs through the cosets modulo \(\pm 1\) and \(S^{(b)} = q^{-1}\sum_{C\in G_m/H} S_C^{(b)}\) (the ``expected value'' of \(S_C^{(b)}\)). The vector \(T^{(b)}\) is the main object of the present work. By applying the discrete Fourier transformation to \(T^{(b)}\), the author is able to express certain class number factors of cyclotomic fields in terms of these vectors. To deal with the information about \(T^{(b)}\) thus available, he studies a family of euclidean tori, the norm manifold \(\mathcal Z\), determined by \(T^{(b)}\). It turns out that \(\mathcal Z\) supplies a lower bound for the euclidean length of \(T^{(b)}\) (sometimes even the exact value), and some insight into that bound can be obtained by means of the Generalized Riemann Hypothesis. Numerical results about this and several other questions are included. As for the signs of the components of \(T^{(b)}\), the author proves a generalization of Dirichlet's theorem on the quadratic residues in one half of the interval \([1, p-1]\). The article also provides a unified and generalized approach to the author's previous results concerning the case of prime values of \(m\); see, e.g., [\textit{K. Girstmair}, Acta Arith. 67, No. 4, 381-386 (1994; Zbl 0827.11004)].