The History of the Law of Quadratic Reciprocity
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Algebraic Number Theory - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia Page 1 of 5
Algebraic number theory - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Page 1 of 5 Algebraic number theory From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Algebraic number theory is a major branch of number theory which studies algebraic structures related to algebraic integers. This is generally accomplished by considering a ring of algebraic integers O in an algebraic number field K/Q, and studying their algebraic properties such as factorization, the behaviour of ideals, and field extensions. In this setting, the familiar features of the integers—such as unique factorization—need not hold. The virtue of the primary machinery employed—Galois theory, group cohomology, group representations, and L-functions—is that it allows one to deal with new phenomena and yet partially recover the behaviour of the usual integers. Contents 1 Basic notions 1.1 Unique factorization and the ideal class group 1.2 Factoring prime ideals in extensions 1.3 Primes and places 1.4 Units 1.5 Local fields 2 Major results 2.1 Finiteness of the class group 2.2 Dirichlet's unit theorem 2.3 Artin reciprocity 2.4 Class number formula 3 Notes 4 References 4.1 Introductory texts 4.2 Intermediate texts 4.3 Graduate level accounts 4.4 Specific references 5 See also Basic notions Unique factorization and the ideal class group One of the first properties of Z that can fail in the ring of integers O of an algebraic number field K is that of the unique factorization of integers into prime numbers. The prime numbers in Z are generalized to irreducible elements in O, and though the unique factorization of elements of O into irreducible elements may hold in some cases (such as for the Gaussian integers Z[i]), it may also fail, as in the case of Z[√-5] where The ideal class group of O is a measure of how much unique factorization of elements fails; in particular, the ideal class group is trivial if, and only if, O is a unique factorization domain . -
Quadratic Reciprocity and Computing Modular Square Roots.Pdf
12 Quadratic reciprocity and computing modular square roots In §2.8, we initiated an investigation of quadratic residues. This chapter continues this investigation. Recall that an integer a is called a quadratic residue modulo a positive integer n if gcd(a, n) = 1 and a ≡ b2 (mod n) for some integer b. First, we derive the famous law of quadratic reciprocity. This law, while his- torically important for reasons of pure mathematical interest, also has important computational applications, including a fast algorithm for testing if an integer is a quadratic residue modulo a prime. Second, we investigate the problem of computing modular square roots: given a quadratic residue a modulo n, compute an integer b such that a ≡ b2 (mod n). As we will see, there are efficient probabilistic algorithms for this problem when n is prime, and more generally, when the factorization of n into primes is known. 12.1 The Legendre symbol For an odd prime p and an integer a with gcd(a, p) = 1, the Legendre symbol (a j p) is defined to be 1 if a is a quadratic residue modulo p, and −1 otherwise. For completeness, one defines (a j p) = 0 if p j a. The following theorem summarizes the essential properties of the Legendre symbol. Theorem 12.1. Let p be an odd prime, and let a, b 2 Z. Then we have: (i) (a j p) ≡ a(p−1)=2 (mod p); in particular, (−1 j p) = (−1)(p−1)=2; (ii) (a j p)(b j p) = (ab j p); (iii) a ≡ b (mod p) implies (a j p) = (b j p); 2 (iv) (2 j p) = (−1)(p −1)=8; p−1 q−1 (v) if q is an odd prime, then (p j q) = (−1) 2 2 (q j p). -
Cubic and Biquadratic Reciprocity
Rational (!) Cubic and Biquadratic Reciprocity Paul Pollack 2005 Ross Summer Mathematics Program It is ordinary rational arithmetic which attracts the ordinary man ... G.H. Hardy, An Introduction to the Theory of Numbers, Bulletin of the AMS 35, 1929 1 Quadratic Reciprocity Law (Gauss). If p and q are distinct odd primes, then q p 1 q 1 p = ( 1) −2 −2 . p − q We also have the supplementary laws: 1 (p 1)/2 − = ( 1) − , p − 2 (p2 1)/8 and = ( 1) − . p − These laws enable us to completely character- ize the primes p for which a given prime q is a square. Question: Can we characterize the primes p for which a given prime q is a cube? a fourth power? We will focus on cubes in this talk. 2 QR in Action: From the supplementary law we know that 2 is a square modulo an odd prime p if and only if p 1 (mod 8). ≡± Or take q = 11. We have 11 = p for p 1 p 11 ≡ (mod 4), and 11 = p for p 1 (mod 4). p − 11 6≡ So solve the system of congruences p 1 (mod 4), p (mod 11). ≡ ≡ OR p 1 (mod 4), p (mod 11). ≡− 6≡ Computing which nonzero elements mod p are squares and nonsquares, we find that 11 is a square modulo a prime p = 2, 11 if and only if 6 p 1, 5, 7, 9, 19, 25, 35, 37, 39, 43 (mod 44). ≡ q Observe that the p with p = 1 are exactly the primes in certain arithmetic progressions. -
Appendices A. Quadratic Reciprocity Via Gauss Sums
1 Appendices We collect some results that might be covered in a first course in algebraic number theory. A. Quadratic Reciprocity Via Gauss Sums A1. Introduction In this appendix, p is an odd prime unless otherwise specified. A quadratic equation 2 modulo p looks like ax + bx + c =0inFp. Multiplying by 4a, we have 2 2ax + b ≡ b2 − 4ac mod p Thus in studying quadratic equations mod p, it suffices to consider equations of the form x2 ≡ a mod p. If p|a we have the uninteresting equation x2 ≡ 0, hence x ≡ 0, mod p. Thus assume that p does not divide a. A2. Definition The Legendre symbol a χ(a)= p is given by 1ifa(p−1)/2 ≡ 1modp χ(a)= −1ifa(p−1)/2 ≡−1modp. If b = a(p−1)/2 then b2 = ap−1 ≡ 1modp,sob ≡±1modp and χ is well-defined. Thus χ(a) ≡ a(p−1)/2 mod p. A3. Theorem a The Legendre symbol ( p ) is 1 if and only if a is a quadratic residue (from now on abbre- viated QR) mod p. Proof.Ifa ≡ x2 mod p then a(p−1)/2 ≡ xp−1 ≡ 1modp. (Note that if p divides x then p divides a, a contradiction.) Conversely, suppose a(p−1)/2 ≡ 1modp.Ifg is a primitive root mod p, then a ≡ gr mod p for some r. Therefore a(p−1)/2 ≡ gr(p−1)/2 ≡ 1modp, so p − 1 divides r(p − 1)/2, hence r/2 is an integer. But then (gr/2)2 = gr ≡ a mod p, and a isaQRmodp. -
Sums of Gauss, Jacobi, and Jacobsthai* One of the Primary
JOURNAL OF NUMBER THEORY 11, 349-398 (1979) Sums of Gauss, Jacobi, and JacobsthaI* BRUCE C. BERNDT Department of Mathematics, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801 AND RONALD J. EVANS Department of Mathematics, University of California at San Diego, L.a Jolla, California 92093 Received February 2, 1979 DEDICATED TO PROFESSOR S. CHOWLA ON THE OCCASION OF HIS 70TH BIRTHDAY 1. INTRODUCTION One of the primary motivations for this work is the desire to evaluate, for certain natural numbers k, the Gauss sum D-l G, = c e277inkl~, T&=0 wherep is a prime withp = 1 (mod k). The evaluation of G, was first achieved by Gauss. The sums Gk for k = 3,4, 5, and 6 have also been studied. It is known that G, is a root of a certain irreducible cubic polynomial. Except for a sign ambiguity, the value of G4 is known. See Hasse’s text [24, pp. 478-4941 for a detailed treatment of G, and G, , and a brief account of G, . For an account of G, , see a paper of E. Lehmer [29]. In Section 3, we shall determine G, (up to two sign ambiguities). Using our formula for G, , the second author [18] has recently evaluated G,, (up to four sign ambiguities). We shall also evaluate G, , G,, , and Gz4 in terms of G, . For completeness, we include in Sections 3.1 and 3.2 short proofs of known results on G, and G 4 ; these results will be used frequently in the sequel. (We do not discuss G, , since elaborate computations are involved, and G, is not needed in the sequel.) While evaluations of G, are of interest in number theory, they also have * This paper was originally accepted for publication in the Rocky Mountain Journal of Mathematics. -
Introduction. There Are at Least Three Different Problems with Which One Is Confronted in the Study of L-Functions: the Analytic
L-Functions and Automorphic Representations∗ R. P. Langlands Introduction. There are at least three different problems with which one is confronted in the study of L•functions: the analytic continuation and functional equation; the location of the zeroes; and in some cases, the determination of the values at special points. The first may be the easiest. It is certainly the only one with which I have been closely involved. There are two kinds of L•functions, and they will be described below: motivic L•functions which generalize the Artin L•functions and are defined purely arithmetically, and automorphic L•functions, defined by data which are largely transcendental. Within the automorphic L• functions a special class can be singled out, the class of standard L•functions, which generalize the Hecke L•functions and for which the analytic continuation and functional equation can be proved directly. For the other L•functions the analytic continuation is not so easily effected. However all evidence indicates that there are fewer L•functions than the definitions suggest, and that every L•function, motivic or automorphic, is equal to a standard L•function. Such equalities are often deep, and are called reciprocity laws, for historical reasons. Once a reciprocity law can be proved for an L•function, analytic continuation follows, and so, for those who believe in the validity of the reciprocity laws, they and not analytic continuation are the focus of attention, but very few such laws have been established. The automorphic L•functions are defined representation•theoretically, and it should be no surprise that harmonic analysis can be applied to some effect in the study of reciprocity laws. -
QUADRATIC RECIPROCITY Abstract. the Goals of This Project Are to Have
QUADRATIC RECIPROCITY JORDAN SCHETTLER Abstract. The goals of this project are to have the reader(s) gain an appreciation for the usefulness of Legendre symbols and ultimately recreate Eisenstein's slick proof of Gauss's Theorema Aureum of quadratic reciprocity. 1. Quadratic Residues and Legendre Symbols Definition 0.1. Let m; n 2 Z with (m; n) = 1 (recall: the gcd (m; n) is the nonnegative generator of the ideal mZ + nZ). Then m is called a quadratic residue mod n if m ≡ x2 (mod n) for some x 2 Z, and m is called a quadratic nonresidue mod n otherwise. Prove the following remark by considering the kernel and image of the map x 7! x2 on the group of units (Z=nZ)× = fm + nZ :(m; n) = 1g. Remark 1. For 2 < n 2 N the set fm+nZ : m is a quadratic residue mod ng is a subgroup of the group of units of order ≤ '(n)=2 where '(n) = #(Z=nZ)× is the Euler totient function. If n = p is an odd prime, then the order of this group is equal to '(p)=2 = (p − 1)=2, so the equivalence classes of all quadratic nonresidues form a coset of this group. Definition 1.1. Let p be an odd prime and let n 2 Z. The Legendre symbol (n=p) is defined as 8 1 if n is a quadratic residue mod p n < = −1 if n is a quadratic nonresidue mod p p : 0 if pjn: The law of quadratic reciprocity (the main theorem in this project) gives a precise relation- ship between the \reciprocal" Legendre symbols (p=q) and (q=p) where p; q are distinct odd primes. -
Quadratic Reciprocity Laws*
JOURNAL OF NUMBER THEORY 4, 78-97 (1972) Quadratic Reciprocity Laws* WINFRIED SCHARLAU Mathematical Institute, University of Miinster, 44 Miinster, Germany Communicated by H. Zassenhaus Received May 26, 1970 Quadratic reciprocity laws for the rationals and rational function fields are proved. An elementary proof for Hilbert’s reciprocity law is given. Hilbert’s reciprocity law is extended to certain algebraic function fields. This paper is concerned with reciprocity laws for quadratic forms over algebraic number fields and algebraic function fields in one variable. This is a very classical subject. The oldest and best known example of a theorem of this kind is, of course, the Gauss reciprocity law which, in Hilbert’s formulation, says the following: If (a, b) is a quaternion algebra over the field of rational numbers Q, then the number of prime spots of Q, where (a, b) does not split, is finite and even. This can be regarded as a theorem about quadratic forms because the quaternion algebras (a, b) correspond l-l to the quadratic forms (1, --a, -b, ub), and (a, b) is split if and only if (1, --a, -b, ub) is isotropic. This formulation of the Gauss reciprocity law suggests immediately generalizations in two different directions: (1) Replace the quaternion forms (1, --a, -b, ub) by arbitrary quadratic forms. (2) Replace Q by an algebraic number field or an algebraic function field in one variable (possibly with arbitrary constant field). While some results are known concerning (l), it seems that the situation has never been investigated thoroughly, not even for the case of the rational numbers. -
L-Functions and Non-Abelian Class Field Theory, from Artin to Langlands
L-functions and non-abelian class field theory, from Artin to Langlands James W. Cogdell∗ Introduction Emil Artin spent the first 15 years of his career in Hamburg. Andr´eWeil charac- terized this period of Artin's career as a \love affair with the zeta function" [77]. Claude Chevalley, in his obituary of Artin [14], pointed out that Artin's use of zeta functions was to discover exact algebraic facts as opposed to estimates or approxi- mate evaluations. In particular, it seems clear to me that during this period Artin was quite interested in using the Artin L-functions as a tool for finding a non- abelian class field theory, expressed as the desire to extend results from relative abelian extensions to general extensions of number fields. Artin introduced his L-functions attached to characters of the Galois group in 1923 in hopes of developing a non-abelian class field theory. Instead, through them he was led to formulate and prove the Artin Reciprocity Law - the crowning achievement of abelian class field theory. But Artin never lost interest in pursuing a non-abelian class field theory. At the Princeton University Bicentennial Conference on the Problems of Mathematics held in 1946 \Artin stated that `My own belief is that we know it already, though no one will believe me { that whatever can be said about non-Abelian class field theory follows from what we know now, since it depends on the behavior of the broad field over the intermediate fields { and there are sufficiently many Abelian cases.' The critical thing is learning how to pass from a prime in an intermediate field to a prime in a large field. -
13 Lectures on Fermat's Last Theorem
I Paulo Ribenboim 13 Lectures on Fermat's Last Theorem Pierre de Fermat 1608-1665 Springer-Verlag New York Heidelberg Berlin Paulo Ribenboim Department of Mathematics and Statistics Jeffery Hall Queen's University Kingston Canada K7L 3N6 Hommage a AndrC Weil pour sa Leqon: goat, rigueur et pCnCtration. AMS Subiect Classifications (1980): 10-03, 12-03, 12Axx Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data Ribenboim, Paulo. 13 lectures on Fermat's last theorem. Includes bibliographies and indexes. 1. Fermat's theorem. I. Title. QA244.R5 512'.74 79-14874 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be translated or reproduced in any form without written permission from Springer-Verlag. @ 1979 by Springer-Verlag New York Inc. Printed in the United States of America. 987654321 ISBN 0-387-90432-8 Springer-Verlag New York ISBN 3-540-90432-8 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg Preface Fermat's problem, also called Fermat's last theorem, has attracted the attention of mathematicians for more than three centuries. Many clever methods have been devised to attack the problem, and many beautiful theories have been created with the aim of proving the theorem. Yet, despite all the attempts, the question remains unanswered. The topic is presented in the form of lectures, where I survey the main lines of work on the problem. In the first two lectures, there is a very brief description of the early history, as well as a selection of a few of the more representative recent results. In the lectures which follow, I examine in suc- cession the main theories connected with the problem. -
Computing the Power Residue Symbol
Radboud University Master Thesis Computing the power residue symbol Koen de Boer supervised by dr. W. Bosma dr. H.W. Lenstra Jr. August 28, 2016 ii Foreword Introduction In this thesis, an algorithm is proposed to compute the power residue symbol α b m in arbitrary number rings containing a primitive m-th root of unity. The algorithm consists of three parts: principalization, reduction and evaluation, where the reduction part is optional. The evaluation part is a probabilistic algorithm of which the expected running time might be polynomially bounded by the input size, a presumption made plausible by prime density results from analytic number theory and timing experiments. The principalization part is also probabilistic, but it is not tested in this thesis. The reduction algorithm is deterministic, but might not be a polynomial- time algorithm in its present form. Despite the fact that this reduction part is apparently not effective, it speeds up the overall process significantly in practice, which is the reason why it is incorporated in the main algorithm. When I started writing this thesis, I only had the reduction algorithm; the two other parts, principalization and evaluation, were invented much later. This is the main reason why this thesis concentrates primarily on the reduction al- gorithm by covering subjects like lattices and lattice reduction. Results about the density of prime numbers and other topics from analytic number theory, on which the presumed effectiveness of the principalization and evaluation al- gorithm is based, are not as extensively treated as I would have liked to. Since, in the beginning, I only had the reduction algorithm, I tried hard to prove that its running time is polynomially bounded. -
The Chebotarëv Density Theorem Applications
UNIVERSITA` DEGLI STUDI ROMA TRE FACOLTA` DI SCIENZE MATEMATICHE FISICHE NATURALI Graduation Thesis in Mathematics by Alfonso Pesiri The Chebotar¨evDensity Theorem Applications Supervisor Prof. Francesco Pappalardi The Candidate The Supervisor ACADEMIC YEAR 2006 - 2007 OCTOBER 2007 AMS Classification: primary 11R44; 12F10; secondary 11R45; 12F12. Key Words: Chebotar¨evDensity Theorem, Galois theory, Transitive groups. Contents Introduction . 1 1 Algebraic background 10 1.1 The Frobenius Map . 10 1.2 The Artin Symbol in Abelian Extensions . 12 1.3 Quadratic Reciprocity . 17 1.4 Cyclotomic Extensions . 20 1.5 Dedekind Domains . 22 1.6 The Frobenius Element . 26 2 Chebotar¨ev’s Density Theorem 32 2.1 Symmetric Polynomials . 32 2.2 Dedekind’s Theorem . 33 2.3 Frobenius’s Theorem . 36 2.4 Chebotar¨ev’s Theorem . 39 2.5 Frobenius and Chebotar¨ev . 40 2.6 Dirichlet’s Theorem on Primes in Arithmetic Progression . 41 2.7 Hint of the Proof . 46 3 Applications 48 3.1 Charming Consequences . 48 3.2 Primes and Quadratic Forms . 52 3.3 A Probabilistic Approach . 55 3.4 Transitive Groups . 61 1 4 Inverse Galois Problem 71 4.1 Computing Galois Groups . 71 4.2 Groups of Prime Degree Polynomials . 83 A Roots on Finite Fields 88 B Galois Groups on Finite Fields 90 C The Chebotar¨evTest in Maple 92 Bibliography 113 2 Introduction The problem of solving polynomial equations has interested mathemati- cians for ages. The Babylonians had methods for solving some quadratic equations in 1600 BC. The ancient Greeks had other methods for solving quadratic equations and their geometric approach also gave them a tool for solving some cubic equations.