Elliptic units and the class numbers of non-Galois fields (Q1812537)

In the field \(\mathbb{C}\) of complex numbers, let \(K\) be a subfield of a finite abelian extension of an imaginary quadratic field \(F\). The problem is to prove an explicit algebraic formula connecting the class number of \(K\) with a group of elliptic units and to give an effective algorithm of computing the class number and fundamental units of \(K\). When \(K\) contains \(F\), it has been solved in the author's previous paper [J. Math. Soc. Japan 37, 245-273 (1985; Zbl 0591.12010)]. We now assume that \(K\) does not contain \(F\). Then R. Schertz has derived such algebraic formulas from a result of C. Meyer by ingenious matrix calculation. Embedding units by a logarithmic map into a commutative group algebra over the field \(\mathbb{R}\) of real numbers, we prove a refined formula for our algorithm in a simpler way which also makes the meaning of the matrix calculation clear. A summary of the paper has been published in [`Class numbers and fundamental units of algebraic number fields', Proc. Int. Conf., Katata/Jap. 1986, 53-65 (1986; Zbl 0623.12007)].