Odd degree number fields with odd class number (Q1750378)

This is a very interesting important paper whose main goal is to prove that for each odd integer \(n \geq 3\), there exist infinitely many algebraic number fields of degree \(n\) having Galois group \(S_n\) and odd class number. To achieve this ambitious goal, many auxiliary important results are proved and the abstract of the paper describes very well what the authors are doing. ``To do so, we study the class groups of families of number fields of degree \(n\) whose rings of integers arise as the coordinate rings of the subschemes of \(\mathbb{P}^{1}\) cut out by integral binary \(n\)-ic forms. By obtaining upper bounds on the mean number of 2-torsion elements in the class groups of fields in these families, we prove that a positive proportion (tending to 1 as \(n\) tends to \(\infty\)) of such fields have trivial 2-torsion subgroups in their class groups and narrow class groups. Conditional on a tail estimate, we also prove the corresponding lower bounds and obtain the exact values of these averages, which are consistent with the heuristics of \textit{H. Cohen} and \textit{H. W. Lenstra jun.} [Lect. Notes Math. 1052, 26--36 (1984; Zbl 0532.12008)], \textit{H. Cohen} and \textit{J. Martinet} [Math. Comput. 48, 123--137 (1987; Zbl 0627.12006)], \textit{G. Malle} [Exp. Math. 19, No. 4, 465--474 (2010; Zbl 1297.11139)], and \textit{D. S. Dummit} and \textit{J. Voight} [Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. (3) 117, No. 4, 682--726 (2018; Zbl 1457.11152)]. Additionally, for any order \(\mathcal{O}_{f}\) of degree \(n\) arising from an integral binary \(n\)-ic form \(f\), we compare the sizes of \(\mathrm{Cl}_{2}(\mathcal{O}_{f})\), the 2-torsion subgroup of ideal classes in \(\mathcal{O}_{f}\), and of \(\mathcal{I}_{2}(\mathcal{O}_{f})\), the 2-torsion subgroup of ideals in \(\mathcal{O}_{f}\). For the family of orders arising from integral binary \(n\)-ic forms and contained in fields with fixed signature \((r_{1},r_{2})\), we prove that the mean value of the difference \(|\mathrm{Cl}_{2}(\mathcal{O}_{f})|-2^{1-r_{1}-r_{2}}|\mathcal{I}_{2}(\mathcal{O}_{f})|\) is equal to 1, generalizing a result of \textit{M. Bhargava} and the third-named author [Duke Math. J. 164, No. 10, 1911--1933 (2015; Zbl 1335.11093)] for cubic fields. Conditional on certain tail estimates, we also prove that the mean value of \(|\mathrm{Cl}_{2}(\mathcal{O}_{f})|-2^{1-r_{1}-r_{2}}|\mathcal{I}_{2}(\mathcal{O}_{f})|\) remains 1 for certain families obtained by imposing local splitting and maximality conditions.''