Small generators of number fields (Q1387915)

The height \(H(\alpha)\) of an algebraic number \(\alpha\) is defined as the maximum (integral) coefficient of its defining equation. Then if \(D_K\) is the discriminant of a number field \(K\) with generator \(\alpha\), \(H(\alpha)\geq c_n| D_K |^{1/(2n-2)}\), where \(c_n= 1/(n\sqrt{n})\). This requires only the minimal (basis) property of the discriminant. In general, all we can do is adjust the constant \(c_n\), as illustrated by the set of values \(\alpha= (q/p)^{1/n}\) for primes \(p< q< 2p\). The remaining question is whether or not we can always choose \(\alpha\) so that \(H(\alpha)\leq d_n| D_K|^{1/(2n-2)}\). For the totally real case, by Minkowskian methods, we can use \(d_n= 2^n\). For the imaginary quadratic case (only) the existence of \(d_2\) is established with the conjecture that \(\mathbb{Q} (\sqrt{-163})\) is optimal, e.g., \(d_2= 41/ \sqrt{163}\). This last result requires that some class generator surd be arbitrarily close to \(i\) in the Klein fundamental domain, which follows from a result of \textit{W. Duke} [Invent. Math. 92, 73-90 (1988; Zbl 0628.10029)].