English

A Density of Ramified Primes

Number Theory 2021-12-10 v2

Abstract

Let KK be a cyclic totally real number field of odd degree over Q\mathbb{Q} with odd class number, such that every totally positive unit is the square of a unit, and such that 22 is inert in K/QK/\mathbb{Q}. We define a family of number fields {K(p)}p\{K(p)\}_p, depending on KK and indexed by the rational primes pp that split completely in K/QK/\mathbb{Q}, such that pp is always ramified in K(p)K(p) of degree 22. Conditional on a standard conjecture on short character sums, the density of such rational primes pp that exhibit one of two possible ramified factorizations in K(p)/QK(p)/\mathbb{Q} is strictly between 00 and 11 and is given explicitly as a formula in terms of [K:Q][K:\mathbb{Q}]. Our results are unconditional in the cubic case. Our proof relies on a detailed study of the joint distribution of spins of prime ideals.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2005.10188,
  title  = {A Density of Ramified Primes},
  author = {Stephanie Chan and Christine McMeekin and Djordjo Milovic},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2005.10188},
  year   = {2021}
}
R2 v1 2026-06-23T15:41:35.742Z