On Real Quadratic Fields Containing Units with Norm -1 (Q5552816)

\textit{H. Hasse} investigated variously real quadratic fields of genus 1 but of class number greater than one [Elem. Math. 20, 49--59 (1965; Zbl 0128.03502)] by making use of the explicit expression for the fundamental unit of real quadratic fields which is already given by Richaud-Degert [\textit{G. Degert}, Abh. Math. Semin. Univ. Hamb. 22, 92--97 (1958; Zbl 0079.05803)]. In this paper, the author obtains some results which generalize Richaud-Degert's and Hasse's work in the case of real quadratic fields containing units with norm \(-1\) by means of giving explicitly the fundamental units of the more general type than Richaud-Degert's. Namely, in \S 1, by means of expressing all units \(\varepsilon = \tfrac12(t+u\sqrt{D})\) of any real quadratic field \(\mathbb Q(\sqrt{D})\) as a function of \(t\), it is proved that the function \(\sqrt{t^2 +4}\) \((t>0)\) generates exactly all real quadratic fields containing units with norm \(-1\) (Theorem 1). In \S 2, by means of classifying all units \(\varepsilon = \tfrac12(t+u\sqrt{D})\) with \(N\varepsilon = -1\) by the positive value of \(u\), it is proved that in the case of \(u=p\) or \(=2p\) \((p\) is 1 or a prime congruent to \(1 \mod 4)\) the unit \(\varepsilon = \tfrac12(t+u\sqrt{D})\) becomes the fundamental unit of \(\mathbb Q(\sqrt{D})\) except for at most finite number of values of \(D\). Main theorem. For any prime \(p\) congruent to \(1 \mod 4\), let \(a,b\) denote the uniquely determined numbers such that \(a^2+4=b\), \(0<a<p^2\). Then, there exists an integer \(D_0 = D_0(p)\) such that if \(D=p^2m^2\pm 2am+b\) \((m>0)\) has no square factor except 4, and if \(D \ge D_0\), the real quadratic field \(Q(\sqrt{D})\) is not of Richaud-Degert type, and the fundamental unit \(\varepsilon_D\) \(\mathbb Q(\sqrt{D})\) is of the following form: \[ \varepsilon_D = \begin{cases}\tfrac12 [(p^2m\pm a) + p\sqrt{D}]\qquad D\text{ squarefree}, \\ \tfrac12 (p^2m\pm a) + p\sqrt{D/4} \qquad \text{otherwise} \end{cases} \text{ and }N\varepsilon_D = -1. \] Moreover, there are given in \S 3 an estimation from below of the class number of real quadratic fields with the fundamental unit belonging to the class of \(u = p\) or \(=2p\) (Theorem 3) and in \S 4 a few examples in concrete cases of \(p= 5, 13\). The author also obtains in another paper an analogous result in the case of real quadratic fields with the fundamental unit \(\varepsilon\) satisfying \(N\varepsilon =1\).