Visualizing the arithmetic of imaginary quadratic fields

DOI10.1093/IMRN/RNX006MaRDI QIDQ5233800zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Katherine E. Stange

Publication date 9 September 2019

Published in IMRN. International Mathematics Research Notices (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1410.0417

zbMATH Keywords

circle packingimaginary quadratic fields

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Quadratic extensions (11R11) Fuchsian groups and their generalizations (group-theoretic aspects) (20H10) Circle packings and discrete conformal geometry (52C26)

Abstract: We study the orbit of $mathbbR$ under the Bianchi group $operatorname{PSL}_2(mathcal{O}_K)$, where $K$ is an imaginary quadratic field. The orbit, called a Schmidt arrangement $mathcal{S}_K$, is a geometric realisation, as an intricate circle packing, of the arithmetic of $K$. This paper presents several examples of this phenomenon. First, we show that the curvatures of the circles are integer multiples of $sqrt-Delta$ and describe the curvatures of tangent circles in terms of the norm form of $mathcal{O}_K$. Second, we show that the circles themselves are in bijection with certain ideal classes in orders of $mathcal{O}_K$, the conductor being a certain multiple of the curvature. This allows us to count circles with class numbers. Third, we show that the arrangement of circles is connected if and only if $mathcal{O}_K$ is Euclidean. These results are meant as foundational for a study of a new class of thin groups generalising Apollonian groups, in a companion paper.

Recommendations

• The Apollonian structure of Bianchi groups
• Apollonian circle packings: number theory. II: Spherical and hyperbolic packings
• Counting problems in Apollonian packings
• Apollonian circle packings and closed horospheres on hyperbolic 3-manifolds. With appendix by Hee Oh and Nimish Shah
• Strong approximation in the Apollonian group

Cited in

(11)

• Equivalent generating vectors of finitely generated modules over commutative rings
• Continued fractions over non-Euclidean imaginary quadratic rings
• The twisted Euclidean algorithm: applications to number theory and geometry
• Quaternion orders and sphere packings
• Visualizing the p-adic Integers
• The Apollonian structure of Bianchi groups
• The dynamics of Super-Apollonian continued fractions
• Local-global principles in circle packings
• A geometric study of circle packings and ideal class groups
• The local-global conjecture for Apollonian circle packings is false
• Fundamental polyhedra of projective elementary groups

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