On the mean number of 2-torsion elements in the class groups, narrow class groups, and ideal groups of cubic orders and fields

DOI10.1215/00127094-3120636zbMATH Open1335.11093arXiv1402.5738OpenAlexW1676827313MaRDI QIDQ498663FDOQ498663

Authors: Manjul Bhargava, Ila Varma 

Publication date: 29 September 2015

Published in: Duke Mathematical Journal (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: Given any family of cubic fields defined by local conditions at finitely many primes, we determine the mean number of 2-torsion elements in the class groups and narrow class groups of these cubic fields when ordered by their absolute discriminants. For an order $calO$ in a cubic field, we study the three groups: $mC{l}_2(calO)$, the group of ideal classes of $calO$ of order 2; $mC{l}_2^{+}(calO)$, the group of narrow ideal classes of $calO$ of order 2; and ${calI}_2(calO)$, the group of ideals of $calO$ of order 2. We prove that the mean value of the difference $|mC{l}_2(calO)|-frac14|{calI}_2(calO)|$ is always equal to $1$, whether one averages over the maximal orders in real cubic fields, over all orders in real cubic fields, or indeed over any family of real cubic orders defined by local conditions. For the narrow class group, we prove that the mean value of the difference $|mC{l}_2^{+}(calO)|-|{calI}_2(calO)|$ is equal to $1$ for any such family. For any family of complex cubic orders defined by local conditions, we prove similarly that the mean value of the difference $|mC{l}_2(mathcalO)|-frac12|{calI}_2(calO)|$ is always equal to $1$, independent of the family. The determination of these mean numbers allows us to prove a number of further results as by-products. Most notably, we prove---in stark contrast to the case of quadratic fields---that: 1) a positive proportion of cubic fields have odd class number; 2) a positive proportion of real cubic fields have isomorphic 2-torsion in the class group and the narrow class group; and 3) a positive proportion of real cubic fields contain units of mixed real signature. We also show that a positive proportion of real cubic fields have narrow class group strictly larger than the class group, and thus a positive proportion of real cubic fields do not possess units of every possible real signature.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1402.5738

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zbMATH Keywords

class groupscubic fieldsnarrow class groups

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Class numbers, class groups, discriminants (11R29) Density theorems (11R45)

Cited In (14)

• Subconvexity of Shintani's zeta function
• Odd degree number fields with odd class number
• The mean number of 3-torsion elements in ray class groups of quadratic fields
• The mean number of 3-torsion elements in the class groups and ideal groups of quadratic orders
• Number fields with prescribed norms (with an appendix by Yonatan Harpaz and Olivier Wittenberg)
• On the \(4\)-rank of class groups of Dirichlet biquadratic fields
• A proof of a conjecture on trace-zero forms and shapes of number fields
• Cohen-Lenstra heuristics and local conditions
• Explicit methods for the Hasse norm principle and applications to \(A_n\) and \(S_n\) extensions
• A new parametrization for ideal classes in rings defined by binary forms, and applications
• Counting problems: class groups, primes, and number fields
• Nonabelian Cohen-Lenstra moments
• Bounds for 2-Selmer ranks in terms of seminarrow class groups
• A positive proportion of quartic fields are not monogenic yet have no local obstruction to being so

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