Class field theory, Diophantine analysis and the asymptotic Fermat's last theorem (Q2295456)

Let \( K \) be a number field, and let \( \mathcal{O}_K \) be its ring of integers. The Fermat equation with prime exponent \(p\) over \(K\) is the equation \begin{align*} a^p + b^p + c^p = 0, \quad a, b, c \in \mathcal{O}_K.\tag{1} \end{align*} A solution \((a, b, c)\) of (1) is called trivial if \(abc = 0\), otherwise non-trivial. The celebrated \textit{Fermat's Last Theorem} asserts that the only solutions to (1) with \(K = \mathbb{Q}\) and \(p \ge 3\) are the trivial ones. The \textit{asymptotic Fermat's Last Theorem over} \(K\) is the statement that there is a bound \(B_K\), depending only on the field \(K\), such that for all prime exponents \(p > B_K\), all solutions to (1) are trivial. If \(B_K\) is effectively computable, one refers to this as the \textit{effective asymptotic Fermat's Last Theorem over} \(K\). In the paper under review, the authors consider the recent results of \textit{N. Freitas} and \textit{S. Siksek} [Compos. Math. 151, No. 8, 1395--1415 (2015; Zbl 1391.11065); Algebra Number Theory 9, No. 4, 875--895 (2015; Zbl 1395.11053)], \textit{A. Kraus} [Algebra Number Theory 13, No. 2, 301--332 (2019; Zbl 1441.11063)], and \textit{M. H. Şengün} and \textit{S. Siksek} [Comment. Math. Helv. 93, No. 2, 359--375 (2018; Zbl 1430.11045)], that give a sufficient criteria for the asymptotic Fermat's Last Theorem to hold over a specific number field. The authors combine the above-mentioned results with techniques from class field theory, the theory of \(p\)-groups and \( p \)-extensions, the theory of Diophantine approximation, and the theory of nonzero linear forms in logarithms of algebraic numbers á la Baker, to establish the asymptotic Fermat's Last Theorem for many infinite families of number fields, and for thousands of number fields of small degree. Furthermore, for example, they prove the effective asymptotic Fermat's Last Theorem for the infinite family of fields \( \mathbb{Q}(\zeta_{2^r})^{+} \) for some integer \( r\ge 2 \), where \( \zeta \) is the \( n \)-th root of unity.