Dedekind's criterion for the monogenicity of a number field versus Uchida's and Lüneburg's (Q2075403)

If \(\alpha\) is an algebraic integer with minimal polynomial \(f\in \mathbb Z[x]\) and \(R\) is the ring of integers of the field \(\mathbb Q(\alpha)\), then the index \([R:\mathbb Z[\alpha]]\) is called the index of \(\alpha\). There are two necessary and sufficient conditions for a rational prime \(p\) to divide the index of \(\alpha\), due to \textit{R. Dedekind} [Abhandl. Kgl. Wiss. Ges. Göttingen 23, 1--23 (1878)] and \textit{K. Uchida} [Osaka J. Math. 14, 155--157 (1977; Zbl 0358.13006)], based on consideration of the behaviour of \(f(x)\) mod \(p\), and a related test by \textit{H. Lüneburg} [Arch. Math. 42, 139--144 (1984; Zbl 0536.12003)]. The authors analyze the connections of these results and use this to study the behaviour of the sequence \(x_n\) of algebraic numbers defined by \(x_0=0\) and \(x_{n+1} =\sqrt{\nu + x_n}\), \(\nu\ge3\) being a square-free rational integer congruent to \(2\) or \(3\) mod \(4\). Put \(f(t) = t^2-\nu\) and let \(f_n(t)\) be the \(n\)-th iterate of \(f\). It is known [\textit{M. Stoll}, Arch. Math. 59, No. 3, 239--244 (1992; Zbl 0758.11045)] that \(f_n\) is the minimal polynomial of \(x_n\) and it has been shown by \textit{M. Castillo} [On the Julia Robinson number of rings of totally real algebraic integers in some towers of nested square roots. Concepción: Universidad de Concepción (PhD Thesis) (2018)] and a preprint (per bib.)) that there exist infinitely many \(\nu\) such that the ring \(\mathbb Z^{\nu} = \bigcup_{n=1}^\infty \mathbb Z[x_n]\) is integrally closed if and only if all numbers \(C_n=f_n(0)\) are square-free. Now the authors establish in Theorem 0.6 the following local analogue: Let \(\nu\) be square-free with \(\nu\equiv 2,3 \pmod 4\), let for some \(n\) the prime \(p\) be a divisor of \(C_n\) with \(p\nmid C_m\) for \(m<n\) and let \(\mathfrak p\) be a prime ideal in \(K(x_n)\) lying over \(p\). The localization of \(\mathbb Z[x_n]\) at \(\mathfrak p\) is a discrete valuation ring if and only if \(p^2\nmid C_n\).