Some real quadratic number fields with their Hilbert 2-class field having cyclic 2-class group (Q730066)

Let \(k\) be a number field, let \(C_2(k)\) denote the \(2\)-Sylow subgroup of the ideal class group of \(k\), let \(k^1\) be the Hilbert \(2\)-class field of \(k\) (in the wide sense) and inductively let \(k^{n+1}=(k^n)^1\). The computation of the \(2\)-class field tower \(k\subseteq k^1\subseteq k^2\subseteq\dots\) motivates the study of the ideal class group of \(k^1\). If \(C_2(k)\cong\mathbb Z/2\mathbb Z \times \mathbb Z/2\mathbb Z\), then \(C_2(k^1)\) is cyclic or trivial as a consequence of [\textit{D. Gorenstein}, Finite groups. 2nd ed. New York: Chelsea Publishing Company (1980; Zbl 0463.20012), Chapter 5, Theorem 4.5]. More precisely, the problem of giving conditions for \(C_2(k^1)\) to be trivial has been widely examined by various authors, in particular in the case of quadratic number fields. Also the more general situation when \(C_2(k)\cong\mathbb Z/2\mathbb Z \times \mathbb Z/2^n\mathbb Z\) has been studied in literature, mainly in the case of imaginary quadratic fields, see for example [the author et al., J. Number Theory 67, No. 2, 229--245 (1997; Zbl 0919.11074)]. In the paper under review, the author focuses on real quadratic number fields. Under the assumptions that the discriminant \(d_k\) of \(k\) is the product of \(3\) positive prime discriminants and the absolute norm of a fundamental unit of \(k\) is \(-1\) he finds some necessary and sufficient conditions for \(C_2(k^1)\) to be cyclic of order at least \(4\). Furthermore in Theorem 3 he also obtains some partial results if \(d_k\) is divisible by a negative prime discriminant. The results of the paper are illustrated by a lot of numerical examples in Section 5. A corrigendum with calculation and typographical errors appeared in [the author, ibid. 180, 787--789 (2017; Zbl 1377.11115)].