No label defined (Q4454819)

Let \(p\) be an odd prime number. Kummer showed that \(p\) is irregular (i.e.\ it divides the class number of \({\mathbb Q}(\zeta_p)\) if and only if there is an even integer \(k\) between 2 and \(p-3\) such that \(p\) divides the (numerator of the) \(k\)-th Bernoulli number \(B_k.\) Herbrand's theorem and \textit{K. A. Ribet}'s converse to it [Invent. Math. 34, 151--162 (1976; Zbl 0338.12003)] say how to detect whether \(p\) divides \(B_k\) by looking at the action of Gal\(({\mathbb Q}(\zeta_p)/{\mathbb Q})\) on the class group of \({\mathbb Z}(\zeta_p).\) Another proof of this using Eisenstein cohomology instead of Eisenstein series has been carried out by \textit{G. Harder} and \textit{R. Pink} [Math. Nachr. 159, 83--99 (1992; Zbl 0773.11069)], where unramified \(p\)-extensions of \({\mathbb Q}(\zeta_p)\) are being constructed. The paper under review gives an account of Ribet's original proof, using some newer results from Galois representation theory. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0977.00024].