Asymptotics of class numbers (Q1780826)

Let \(O\) be the set of isomorphism classes of orders in complex cubic fields, and for \({\mathcal O}\in O\) let \(h({\mathcal O})\) be the class number and \(R({\mathcal O})\) the regulator of \({\mathcal O}\). The authors prove: As \(x\rightarrow \infty\) it holds \[ \sum_{{\mathcal O}\in O,R({\mathcal O})\leq x}h({\mathcal O})\sim \frac{e^{3x}}{3x}. \] Their method is based on a new ``simple trace formula'' in which the geometric side only consists of orbital integrals of globally elliptic elements. They warn that this method cannot serve to formulate a conjecture about the growth of class numbers in number fields of a given type, because they don't count orders, but rather their units, which in the setting of reductive groups come about as globally elliptic elements. They point out that only in the case when the rank of the unit group is one, it is possible to draw conclusions about class numbers from the distribution of units.