Imaginary quadratic fields whose ideal class groups have 3-rank at least three (Q311453)

\textit{Y. Kishi} [Glasg. Math. J. 52, No. 3, 575--581 (2010; Zbl 1253.11103)] has shown that the class group of the complex quadratic number field \({\mathbb Q}(\sqrt{4 - 3^{6n+3}})\) has \(3\)-rank at least \(2\). In the present article, the authors improve this by showing that the \(3\)-rank of the class group of \({\mathbb Q}(\sqrt{m})\) for \(m = 4 - 3^{18n+3}\) is at least \(3\). This is achieved by showing that the real quadratic field \(k' = {\mathbb Q}(\sqrt{-3m})\) has \(3\)-rank at least \(2\) and applying Scholz's reflection theorem. This in turn is proved by writing down two independent unramified cyclic extensions of \(k'\) of degree \(3\).