The Class Number One Problem for Some Non-Abelian Normal CM-Fields of 2-Power Degrees

Abstract

First, we prove that a non-abelian normal CM-field of degree 16 has odd relative class number if and only if it is dihedral, or is a compositum of two normal octic CM-fields with the same maximal real subfield, or has Galois group . Then, we solve several relative class number one problems. (1) We solve the relative class number one problem for the dihedral CM-fields of 2-power degrees. First, we remind the reader of the characterization of the dihedral CM-fields of 2-power degrees with odd relative class numbers. Second, we give lower bounds on relative class numbers of dihedral CM-fields of 2-power degrees with odd relative class numbers. We thus obtain an upper bound on the discriminants of the dihedral CM-fields of 2-power degrees with relative class number equal to 1. Third, we compute the relative class numbers of all the dihedral CM-fields of 2-power degrees with odd relative class numbers and discriminants less than or equal to this latter bound. We end up with a list of twenty-four dihedral CM-fields of 2-power degrees with relativeclass numbers equal to 1, and show that exactly twenty-one of them have class number 1. (2) We determine all the non-abelian normal CM-fields of degree 16 with Galois group which have relative class number 1 (there is only one such number field), and then those which have class number 1 (there is only one such number field). (3) We determine some of the non-abelian normal CM-fields with the same maximal real subfield which have relative class number 1, and then those which have class number 1. Indeed, we focus on the case where one of the is a quaternion octic CM-field and prove that there is only one such compositum with relative class number 1 and that this compositum has class number 1.1991 Mathematics Subject Classification: primary 11R29; secondary 11R21, 11R42, 11M20, 11Y40.