On the Washington subgroup of the unit group of certain abelian fields (Q2441400)

For an abelian number field \(K\) of conductor \(n\), \textit{W. Sinnott} [Invent. Math. 62, 181--234 (1980; Zbl 0465.12001)] defined the group \(C_S(K)\) of \textit{circular units} of \(K\) by \[ C_S(K)=E(K)\cap\langle -1,N_{\mathbb Q(\zeta_m)/K\cap\mathbb Q(\zeta_m)} (1-\zeta_m^a)\;|\;m,a\in\mathbb Z,\;1<m\;| \;n,\;(a,m)=1\rangle, \] where \(E(K)\) is the group of units of \(K\). On the other hand, [\textit{L. Washington}, Introduction to cyclotomic fields. Berlin: Springer (1982; Zbl 0484.12001), 2nd ed. (1997; Zbl 0966.11047)] suggested another group of circular units by \(C_W(K)=K\cap C_n=C_n^{\text{Gal}(\mathbb Q(\zeta_n)/K)}\), where \(C_n\) is the group of cyclotomic units of \(\mathbb Q(\zeta_n)\) and \(C_S(K)\subseteq C_W(K)\). By a basis of a finitely generated abelian group \(M\), we mean a basis of the free part of \(M\). The aim of the paper is to find a basis \(B_W(K)\) of \(C_W(K)\) and obtain the index formula for \([E(K):C_W(K)]\) for a subfield \(K\) of \(\mathbb Q(\zeta_n)\) when the conductor \(n=p_1^{e_1}p_2^{e_2}\) of \(K\) has two distinct odd primes. Put \(q_i=p^{e_i}\) for \(i=1,2\), \(\phi_i=\phi(q_i)\) where \(\phi\) is the Euler function and \(L=\mathbb Q(\zeta_{q_1})^+\mathbb Q(\zeta_{q_2})^+\). Let \(\sigma_i\) be a generator of \(\text{Gal}(\mathbb Q(\zeta_{q_i})/\mathbb Q)\) for \(i=1,2\) and \(\sigma_{i,j}=\sigma_1^i\sigma_2^j\) corresponding extensions to \(\mathbb Q(\zeta_n)\). Let \(\overline {I} =\{(i,j)\;|\;0\leq i < \phi_1/2\text{\;and\;} 0\leq j<\phi_2\} \) and \(I=\overline{I}-\{(0,0)\}\). Let \(\delta(i,j)=(1-\zeta_n^{\sigma_{i,j}})\zeta_n^{-\sigma_{i,j}/2}\) and \(\delta^+(i,j)=\delta(i,j)\delta(0,\phi_2/2)\). If \(K\) is a real field, let \(m=[\mathbb Q(\zeta_n)^+:K]\) and \(Gal(\mathbb Q(\zeta_n)^+/K)=\{\tau_1=id,\tau_2,\dots,\tau_m\}\). Let \[ \hat{I}_{r1s,r_2}=\{(i,j)\in I\;|\;0\leq i<r_1s, \;\phi_2/2\leq j<\phi_2/2+r_2\} \] where the integer \(s\) is connected to a \textit{certain circular unit \(\Theta\)} introduced in [\textit{J. M. Kim} and \textit{J. Ryu}, J. Number Theory 131, No. 4, 737--744 (2011; Zbl 1229.11135)] (whose previous reading is necessary to understand the present article). The authors examine the basis \(B_W(K)\) successively for \(K=L\), \(K\) subfield of \(L\) and \(K\) subfield of \(\mathbb Q(\zeta_n)\). In this last case, as an example, they prove: If \([\mathbb Q(\zeta_n)^+:K]\) is odd, then \(B_W(K)=\{u_K(i,j)\;|\;(i,j)\in \hat{I}_{r_1s,r_2}\}\cup B_W(k)\) is a basis of \(C_W(K)\) where \(k=K\cap L\) and \(u_K(i,j)=N_{\mathbb Q(\zeta_n)^+/K}(\delta^+(i,j))\). If \([\mathbb Q(\zeta_n)^+:K]\) is even, then \(B_W(K)=\{u_K(i,j)\;|\;(i,j)\in \hat{I}_{r_1s,r_2}\}\cup B_W(k)\) is a basis of \(C_W(K)\) where \(k=K\cap L\) and \(u_K(i,j)=\prod_{1\leq l\leq m}\tau_l\delta_(i,j)\). For an imaginary subfield \(\tilde{K}\) of \(\mathbb Q(\zeta_n)\), the set \(B_W(\tilde{K})=\{ \delta_{\tilde{K}}(i,j)\;|\;(i,j)\in\hat{I}_{r_1s,r_2}\}\cup B_W(k)\) is a basis of \(C_W(\tilde K)\) where \(\delta_{\tilde{K}}(i,j)=N_{\mathbb Q(\zeta_n)/\tilde{K}}(\delta(i,j))\). In the last part of the article, using the circular unit \(\Theta\) defined in [Zbl 1229.11135], they describe the group structure of \(C_W(K)/C_S(K)\) by comparing the basis \(B_W(K)\) they obtain with that of the Sinnott group \(C_S(K)\) given by \textit{K. Dohmae} [J. Number Theory 61, No. 2, 343--364 (1996; Zbl 0869.11082)], from which the index formula for \([E(K):C_W(K)]\) can be derived.