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[parent] ideal classes form an abelian group (Theorem)

Let $ K$ be a number field, and let $ \cal C$ be the set of ideal classes of $ K$, with multiplication $ \cdot$ defined by

$\displaystyle [\mathfrak{a}] \cdot [\mathfrak{b}]=[\mathfrak{a} \mathfrak{b}] $
where $ \mathfrak{a}, \mathfrak{b}$ are ideals of $ {\cal{O}}_K$.

We shall check the group properties:

  1. Associativity: $ [\mathfrak{a}] \cdot ([\mathfrak{b}] \cdot [\mathfrak{c}])= [\mathfrak{a}] \cd... ...cdot [\mathfrak{c}]= ([\mathfrak{a}] \cdot [\mathfrak{b}]) \cdot [\mathfrak{c}]$
  2. Identity element: $ [ {\cal{O}}_K ] \cdot [\mathfrak{b}]= [\mathfrak{b}]=[\mathfrak{b}] \cdot [ {\cal{O}}_K ]$.
  3. Inverses: Consider $ [\mathfrak{b}]$. Let $ b$ be an integer in $ \mathfrak{b}$. Then $ \mathfrak{b} \supseteq (b)$, so there exists $ \mathfrak{c}$ such that $ \mathfrak{b}\mathfrak{c}=(b)$.
    Then the ideal class $ [\mathfrak{b}] \cdot [\mathfrak{c}] = [(b)]=[ {\cal{O}}_K ]$.
Then $ {\cal C}$ is a group under the operation $ \cdot$.

It is abelian since $ [\mathfrak{a}][\mathfrak{b}]=[\mathfrak{a}\mathfrak{b}]= [\mathfrak{b}\mathfrak{a}]=[\mathfrak{b}][\mathfrak{a}]$.

This is group is called the ideal class group of $ K$. The ideal class group is one of the principal objects of algebraic number theory. In particular, for an arbitrary number field $ K$, very little is known about the size of this group, called the class number of $ K$. See the analytic class number formula.



"ideal classes form an abelian group" is owned by mathcam. [ full author list (4) | owner history (2) ]
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See Also: number field, topics on ideal class groups and discriminants, fractional ideal of commutative ring

Also defines:  ideal class group, class number

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Cross-references: class number formula, analytic, size, algebraic number theory, objects, abelian, operation, integer, inverses, identity element, associativity, properties, group, ideals, multiplication, ideal classes, number field
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This is version 10 of ideal classes form an abelian group, born on 2002-07-02, modified 2007-08-22.
Object id is 3151, canonical name is IdealClassesFormAnAbelianGroup.
Accessed 4063 times total.

Classification:
AMS MSC11R04 (Number theory :: Algebraic number theory: global fields :: Algebraic numbers; rings of algebraic integers)
 11R29 (Number theory :: Algebraic number theory: global fields :: Class numbers, class groups, discriminants)

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Proper name derivatives by pahio on 2006-12-05 02:58:50
Many PM writers do not capitalise the adjective derivatives of person names, especially "abelian". On the other side, e.g. "Boolean" is mostly capitalised. Which is the English standard?
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