On the parity of the class number of an imaginary abelian field of conductor \(2^{a} p^{b}\) (Q719673)

Let \(p\) be an odd prime, \(n\) a natural number and \(K_n := \mathbb Q(\zeta_{p^{n+1}})\), where \(\zeta_m\) denotes a primitive \(m\)th root of unity for any integer \(m\). A well known theorem of Kummer states that if the relative class number \(h_n^-\) of \(K_n\) is odd, then the same is true for the class number of \(K_n^+\), the maximal real subfield of \(K_n\). In the paper under review the following result in the spirit of Kummer's theorem is proven: For \(j \geq 0\) let \(L_{n,j} = K_n^+(\zeta_{2^{j+2}})\) and let \(h_{n,j}^-\) be its relative class number. Let \(p^{n_0}\) be the highest power of \(p\) dividing \(2^{p-1}-1\). Then for any \(n \geq n_0\) the following holds: If \(h_n^- / h_{n-1}^-\) is odd, then \(h_{n,j}^- / h_{n-1,j}^-\) is odd for any \(j \geq 0\). Moreover, the author shows that if \(n_0 \geq 2\), then the ratio \(h_{n,0}^- / h_{n-1,0}^-\) is even for any \(1 \leq n < n_0\).