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Algebraic number theory studies integer factorization, divisibility, prime ideals, and units after extending the rational numbers to a number field. Its basic objects are a number field $K$ and its ring of integers ${\mathcal{O}}_K$: the counterparts of $\mathbb{Q}$ and $\mathbb{Z}$. The field norm turns multiplication in $K$ into multiplication of rational numbers, and takes algebraic integers to integers. These connections let linear algebra and Euclidean geometry answer arithmetic questions.^[ref]

A first example is $K=\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt{2})$ with ring of integers $\mathbb{Z}[\sqrt{2}]$. The integer $7$ acquires the factorizationEach factor has field norm $7$. Neither is a unit, and each is an irreducible element: any factorization into two nonunits would factor the prime number $7$ into two integers of absolute value greater than one. Arithmetic in a larger ring thus reveals structure invisible in ordinary integer factorization.

There is also a complication: unique factorization of elements can fail, as in the failure of unique factorization in the ring of integers generated by square root of minus five. The general replacement is prime ideal factorization. The ideal class group measures the obstruction to making every ideal a principal ideal.

The historical motivation is visible in Richard Dedekind's original 1877 exposition: he begins with ordinary integer factorization, passes to Gaussian integers, and then uses a quadratic example to explain why ideals are needed. His later section establishes unique factorization of ideals in a number field. This is a direct record of the development of the theory, rather than a claim that all its ideas originated in one year.^[ref][ref]

For an irreducible character $\chi$ and a conjugacy class $C$ represented by $c$, the central group-algebra element ${\sum }_{x\in C}x$ acts as the scalarThis scalar is an algebraic integer, since the class sum acts by an integer matrix on the regular representation.

At an element $g$ of a finite group, a complex character value is the sum of the roots of unity which are the eigenvalues of its representing matrix. It is therefore an algebraic integer, and every algebraic conjugate has modulus at most the degree.

For a nonzero integral ideal $\mathfrak{a}$ of the full ring of integers of a number field of degree two,Here conjugation is the nonidentity field automorphism and $N(\mathfrak{a})$ is the additive index of the ideal. A direct proof writes $\mathfrak{a}=s⟨d,e+\omega {⟩}_{\mathbb{Z}}$ in an integral basis $1,\omega$. Put $\theta =e+\omega$, $T=\theta +\bar{\theta }$, $U=\theta \bar{\theta }$. The ideal property gives $d\mid U$. Moreover $\gcd (d,T,U/d)=1$: a prime dividing all three would make $\theta /\ell$ an algebraic integer, contradicting its nonintegral coefficient of $\omega$. The product of $⟨d,\theta ⟩$ with its conjugate contains $d^2,dT,U$, so Bezout identity puts $d$ in it; all its generators lie in $(d)$. Scaling back gives $(s^{2}d)$, and the lattice determinant identifies $s^{2}d=N(\mathfrak{a})$. The full ring of integers is essential to the integrality argument.

Every degree-$n$ number field has a ring of integers that is a free abelian group of rank $n$. To prove this without assuming finite generation, scale a rational basis to algebraic integers ${\alpha }_1,\dots ,{\alpha }_n$ and set $M={\sum }_j\mathbb{Z}{\alpha }_j$. Their trace pairing has an invertible integer matrix $T$, since the trace form of a number field is nondegenerate. For $x\in {\mathcal{O}}_K$, all $\mathrm{Tr}(x{\alpha }_j)$ are integers. The adjugate matrix formula gives $M\subseteq {\mathcal{O}}_K\subseteq (\det T{)}^{-1}M$. The submodule theorem for free modules over a principal ideal domain makes the middle group free of rank $n$, and a group basis is an integral basis.

For a finite field extension $L/K$, multiplication by $\alpha \in L$ is a $K$-linear map $m_{\alpha }:L\to L$. Its determinant is the field norm:This does not depend on the chosen basis. If $L/K$ is a separable field extension, thenwhere the product runs over all $[L:K]$ field embeddings into an algebraic closure of $K$. Embeddings are counted even when several give the same value on $\alpha$: for $r\in K$, the result is $r^{[L:K]}$. This avoids ambiguity in the phrase “product of algebraic conjugates”.^[ref]

For $L=\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt{2})$ over $K=\mathbb{Q}$, write $\alpha =a+b\sqrt{2}$. In the basis $1,\sqrt{2}$, multiplication by $\alpha$ has columns $(a,b)$ and $(2b,a)$, henceThe determinant calculation and the product of the two field embeddings give the same answer. In particular,A field norm is an arithmetic invariant; it is not a nonnegative norm measuring length, and need not be positive on nonzero elements.

The field norm is multiplicative, $N(\alpha \beta )=N(\alpha )N(\beta )$, because $m_{\alpha \beta }=m_{\alpha }{m}_{\beta }$ and determinants are multiplicative. It vanishes exactly at zero. For a number field over $\mathbb{Q}$, it takes algebraic integers to integers, and an algebraic integer is a unit exactly when its field norm is $1$ or $-1$.^[ref][ref]

This makes the field norm a useful test for divisibility. If nonzero $\alpha ,\beta \in {\mathcal{O}}_L$ and $\alpha$ divides $\beta$, then the integer $N(\alpha )$ divides $N(\beta )$. For example, $3+\sqrt{2}$ has field norm $7$, so it cannot divide $2$, whose field norm is $4$. It does divide $7$, with quotient $3-\sqrt{2}$. This necessary condition can reject a proposed factor without solving for its quotient.

The rational space of level-one cusp forms has a full lattice of forms with integral Fourier coefficients. It has finite rank by the valence formula for the modular group, and is preserved by the Fourier coefficients of a composite-index Hecke operator formula. Thus every Hecke operator has a monic integral characteristic polynomial on this lattice, and its eigenvalues are algebraic integers. The common eigenvalue field is totally real by the Petersson inner product self-adjointness.

Let $m,n$ be coprime square-free integers, $m\equiv 3(\mathrm{mod}4)$ and $n\equiv 2(\mathrm{mod}4)$. For the biquadratic extension $L=\mathbb{Q}(\alpha ,\beta )$, with ${\alpha }^2=m$ and ${\beta }^2=n$, an integral basis is $1,\alpha ,\beta ,(\beta +\alpha \beta )/2$. To prove spanning, write an algebraic integer as $(a+b\alpha +c\beta +d\alpha \beta )/2$. The field traces to the three quadratic subfields and the ring of integers of a quadratic field formula force $a,b,c,d\in \mathbb{Z}$. The field norm to $\mathbb{Q}(\alpha )$ has coefficients $(a^2+m{b}^2-n{c}^2-mn{d}^2)/4$ and $(ab-ncd)/2$. Their integrality gives $ab\equiv 0(\mathrm{mod}2)$ and $a^2-b^2-2(c^2+d^2)\equiv 0(\mathrm{mod}4)$. Thus $a,b$ are even and $c\equiv d(\mathrm{mod}2)$, exactly the asserted integer span. Conversely, the half-sum $w$ has $w^2=n(1+m)/4+(n/2)\alpha \in \mathbb{Z}[\alpha ]$, so integral dependence is transitive proves it is an algebraic integer. Rational linear independence is immediate from its nonzero $\alpha \beta$ coefficient.

Let $m,n$ be coprime square-free integers, $m\equiv 2(\mathrm{mod}4)$ and $n\equiv 1(\mathrm{mod}4)$, with $n\ne 1$. Put ${\alpha }^2=m$, ${\beta }^2=n$, and $\omega =(1+\beta )/2$. Then $1,\alpha ,\omega ,\alpha \omega$ is an integral basis of $\mathbb{Q}(\alpha ,\beta )$. All four entries are algebraic integers. For spanning, field traces to the three quadratic subfields show that an arbitrary algebraic integer has form $(a+b\alpha +c\beta +d\alpha \beta )/2$ with $a,b,c,d\in \mathbb{Z}$. Its field norm to $\mathbb{Q}(\beta )$ is $A/4+(ac-mbd)\beta /2$, where $A=a^2+n{c}^2-m{b}^2-mn{d}^2$. The ring of integers of a quadratic field formula forces $A$ even and $A\equiv 2ac-2mbd(\mathrm{mod}4)$. These give $a\equiv c(\mathrm{mod}2)$ and then $b\equiv d(\mathrm{mod}2)$. The element is consequently $(a-c)/2+((b-d)/2)\alpha +c\omega +d\alpha \omega$. The coefficient determinant $1/4$ proves rational linear independence.

The power basis $1,\theta ,{\theta }^2$ is an integral basis. The defining polynomial is irreducible by Eisenstein's criterion at two and its discriminant is $-140$. The discriminant-index formula for an integral lattice restricts its index in the ring of integers to one or two. An index of two would supply an algebraic integer $\eta =(a+b\theta +c{\theta }^2)/2$ with $a,b,c\in \{0,1\}$ not all zero. Its field trace $(3a-4c)/2$ forces $a=0$. If $b=0$ this gives ${\theta }^2/2$ directly; if $b=1$, the identity $\theta \eta ={\theta }^2/2-c\theta -c$ gives the same integrality. But ${\theta }^2/2=-1-{\theta }^{-1}$, while $N({\theta }^{-1})=-1/2$ excludes integrality by the field norm. Thus the index is one, proving the claim.

For every irreducible complex character $\chi$ of a finite group $G$,Indeed, row orthogonality expresses $|G|/\chi (1)$ as a sum of products of algebraic integers:It is a rational algebraic integer and therefore an integer.

A number field is a finite field extension $K/\mathbb{Q}$ of the rational numbers. Its degree of a field extension $[K:\mathbb{Q}]$ is its dimension as a vector space over $\mathbb{Q}$. Every element is an algebraic number; the primitive element theorem also says that $K=\mathbb{Q}(\theta )$ for some single algebraic number $\theta$.

For example,The basis $1,\sqrt{2}$ makes arithmetic explicit: use $(\sqrt{2}{)}^2=2$ to reduce products. Every nonzero element has its inverse in the same field:The denominator cannot vanish unless $a=b=0$, since $\sqrt{2}$ is not a rational number. For instance, $(3+\sqrt{2}{)}^{-1}=(3-\sqrt{2})/7$ belongs to the number field, although it is not an algebraic integer.

A degree-$n$ number field has exactly $n$ distinct field embeddings into the complex numbers fixing $\mathbb{Q}$, because every finite field extension in characteristic zero is a separable field extension. For $\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt{2})$ these are the two real mapsBoth preserve addition and multiplication. Keeping both values, rather than just the positive choice of $\sqrt{2}$, is what makes the field norm and the Minkowski embedding of a number field useful.

For a real-valued irreducible character of a finite odd-order group, pairing $g$ with $g^{-1}$ gives $⟨\chi ,1_G⟩=(\chi (1)+2A)/|G|$, with $A$ an algebraic integer. If this inner product were zero, $\chi (1)$ would be even, since a rational algebraic integer is an integer. But an irreducible character degree divides the group order, so it is odd. Therefore the character is trivial.

For a number field $K$ of degree of a field extension $n$, an integral basis is a basis ${\omega }_1,\dots ,{\omega }_n$ over $\mathbb{Q}$ such thatThus every algebraic integer in $K$ has a unique expression with integer coefficients in this basis. Merely requiring its entries to be algebraic integers would not suffice: for example, $1,2\sqrt{2}$ is a rational basis of $\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt{2})$ but misses the algebraic integer $\sqrt{2}$ in its integer span.

Here is a proof of the existence of an integral basis. Start with any rational basis $v_1,\dots ,v_n$. Each $v_j$ has a nonzero integer multiple ${\alpha }_j$ that is an algebraic integer. Indeed, ifchoose a positive integer $q$ clearing all the denominators. Then $qv$ satisfies the monic polynomialThe ${\alpha }_j$ are still a rational basis. Put $M={\sum }_j\mathbb{Z}{\alpha }_j$ and form the matrixIts entries are integers, because products and sums of algebraic integers are algebraic integers and a rational algebraic integer is an integer. The nondegeneracy of the trace form of a number field gives $D\ne 0$: if $x\ne 0$, then $\mathrm{Tr}(x{x}^{-1})=n\ne 0$.

For $x={\sum }_j{x}_j{\alpha }_j\in {\mathcal{O}}_K$, each $\mathrm{Tr}(x{\alpha }_i)$ is an integer, soThe adjugate matrix formula for $T^{-1}$ gives $D{x}_j\in \mathbb{Z}$. ConsequentlyThe submodule theorem for free modules over a principal ideal domain says that every subgroup of the finite-rank free abelian group $D^{-1}M$ is again a free abelian group of rank at most $n$. Since ${\mathcal{O}}_K$ contains $M$, its rank is exactly $n$. A basis of this free abelian group is the required integral basis.

Write $x=r+s\sqrt{d}$ with $r,s\in \mathbb{Q}$. The field trace and field norm areThe element is an algebraic integer if and only if $T,N\in \mathbb{Z}$: necessity follows from its two conjugates; sufficiency follows from the monic polynomial $X^2-TX+N$.

Suppose $x$ is an algebraic integer. Set $a=2r\in \mathbb{Z}$. ThenWrite $2s=h/k$ in lowest terms, with $k>0$. Then $k^2\mid d$, and the hypothesis that $d$ is a square-free integer forces $k=1$. Thus $b=2s\in \mathbb{Z}$, and the remaining condition isThe only squares modulo four are zero and one. For $d\equiv 2(\mathrm{mod}4)$, an odd $b$ is impossible, after which $a$ is even. For $d\equiv 3(\mathrm{mod}4)$, an odd $b$ would require $a^2\equiv 3(\mathrm{mod}4)$, again impossible. For $d\equiv 1(\mathrm{mod}4)$, the condition is precisely $a\equiv b(\mathrm{mod}2)$.

Conversely, $\sqrt{d}$ satisfies $X^2-d$, and when $d\equiv 1(\mathrm{mod}4)$, the element $\omega =(1+\sqrt{d})/2$ satisfiesTheir integer spans therefore consist of algebraic integers. In the last case,This proves the ring of integers of a quadratic field formula. The required integral basis isTheir rational linear independence follows from $\sqrt{d}\notin \mathbb{Q}$.

Put $\alpha =\sqrt{m_1}$, $\beta =\sqrt{m_2}$, andThe proposed integral basis for coprime biquadratic radicands congruent to two and one isEach entry is an algebraic integer, by the ring of integers of a quadratic field formula and closure under products. Their coefficient matrix in $1,\alpha ,\beta ,\alpha \beta$ has determinant $1/4$, so they are rationally linearly independent. It remains to show that they span every algebraic integer.

Write $\gamma =(a+b\alpha +c\beta +d\alpha \beta )/2$ initially with rational $a,b,c,d$. The field traces to $\mathbb{Q}(\alpha )$ and $\mathbb{Q}(\alpha \beta )$ are $a+b\alpha$ and $a+d\alpha \beta$. Since $m_1\equiv m_1{m}_2\equiv 2(\mathrm{mod}4)$, the corresponding integral basis in each subfield gives $a,b,d\in \mathbb{Z}$. The field trace to $\mathbb{Q}(\beta )$ is $a+c\beta$. Membership in $\mathbb{Z}[\omega ]$ says that $2a,2c$ are integers of equal parity. As $a$ is already an integer, this forces $c\in \mathbb{Z}$ too.

Now the field norm to $\mathbb{Q}(\beta )$ isBy the ring of integers of a quadratic field formula, $A/2$ is an integer and has the same parity as $ac-m_{1}bd$. Thus $A$ is even, giving $a\equiv c(\mathrm{mod}2)$, andUsing $m_1\equiv 2$, $m_2\equiv 1$ and $a\equiv c(\mathrm{mod}2)$, this becomesHence $b\equiv d(\mathrm{mod}2)$. Finally,an expression with integer coefficients. This proves the asserted integral basis without assuming a general theorem about products of elements of an integral basis.

Again put $\alpha =\sqrt{m_1}$ and $\beta =\sqrt{m_2}$. The ring of integers of each of the three quadratic subfields has integral basis $1,\alpha$, $1,\beta$, or $1,\alpha \beta$, respectively: their square-free radicands are respectively congruent to $3,2,2$ modulo four. The field traces of the algebraic integer $\gamma$ to those subfields areThey are algebraic integers, so comparison with each integral basis givesThis use of all three subfields is needed to control $d$ as well as the other coefficients.

The field norm to $\mathbb{Q}(\alpha )$ isIts two coefficients must be integers. The second condition says $ab$ is even, since $m_2$ is even. Reducing the numerator of the first coefficient modulo four givesReduction modulo two first gives $a\equiv b(\mathrm{mod}2)$. Since $ab$ is even, both $a$ and $b$ are even. The same congruence now gives $c^2+d^2\equiv 0(\mathrm{mod}2)$, or $c\equiv d(\mathrm{mod}2)$. Therefore every algebraic integer has the formwith four integer coefficients.

For the converse, $1,\alpha ,\beta$ are algebraic integers, andHere $4\mid 1+m_1$ and $2\mid m_2$, so both coefficients are integers. The monic polynomial $X^2-w^2$ and integral dependence is transitive show that $w$ is an algebraic integer. The four displayed generators are rationally linearly independent, since their coefficient matrix in $1,\alpha ,\beta ,\alpha \beta$ has determinant $1/2$. Hence the integral basis for coprime biquadratic radicands congruent to three and two isIn this formula $\sqrt{m_1{m}_2}$ denotes the product $\alpha \beta$ of the chosen square roots; this convention also handles negative radicands.

Put $\alpha =\sqrt{m_1}$, $\beta =\sqrt{m_2}$ and $F=\mathbb{Q}(\alpha )$. The hypotheses make $L/\mathbb{Q}$ a biquadratic extension. To check the degree of a field extension is four, if $\beta =x+y\alpha$ with rational $x,y$, squaring gives $xy=0$. The case $y=0$ would make $m_2$ a rational square; the case $x=0$ would make $m_2/m_1$ a rational square. Neither can occur for the specified distinct coprime square-free integers. Hence $[L:F]=2$.

The nonidentity field automorphism of $L/F$ fixes $\alpha$ and sends $\beta$ to $-\beta$. Thus, for $\gamma =(r+s\alpha )+(t+u\alpha )\beta$, the field norm and field trace areIf $\gamma$ is an algebraic integer, so is its conjugate, and their sum and product are algebraic integers. Conversely, put $T={\mathrm{Tr}}_{L/F}(\gamma )$ and $N=N_{L/F}(\gamma )$. The identityshows that $\gamma$ is integral over $\mathbb{Z}[T,N]$. If $T,N$ are algebraic integers, the ring generated by algebraic integers $\mathbb{Z}[T,N]$ is integral over $\mathbb{Z}$. Since integral dependence is transitive, $\gamma$ is an algebraic integer. This proves the trace and norm integrality criterion for a quadratic extension, including elements already in $F$.

To compute the Ideal class group of Q of square root thirty-five, put $\theta =\sqrt{35}$. The ring of integers of a quadratic field formula gives $R=\mathbb{Z}[\theta ]$, and the field discriminant is $4\cdot 35=140$. Both field embeddings are real, so the Minkowski bound for ideal classes isEvery ideal class therefore has an integral ideal representative of ideal norm at most five. By prime ideal factorization and multiplicativity of the ideal norm, the ideal class group is generated by prime ideals of ideal norm at most five.

Apply the Dedekind factorization theorem to $X^2-35$. At two and five it has a repeated linear factor, givingAt three, $X^2-35\equiv X^2+1$ has no root, so $(3)$ itself is a prime ideal of ideal norm nine, outside the bound. These are all the relevant prime ideals: a prime ideal of ideal norm four would have to lie above two with residue degree two, but the factorization above two has only the single factor of degree one. Consequently $[P_2]$ and $[P_5]$ generate, and each has order of a group element dividing two.

The algebraic integer $5+\theta$ has field norm $25-35=-10$. It belongs to both $P_2$ and $P_5$. Hence its principal ideal is contained in $P_2\cap P_5=P_2{P}_5$. Both have ideal norm ten, soIt follows that $[P_5]=[P_2{]}^{-1}=[P_2]$, and the ideal class group is generated by one element of order of a group element at most two.

Finally, $P_2$ is not a principal ideal. If $P_2=(a+b\theta )$ with $a,b\in \mathbb{Z}$, the equality of ideal norm and absolute field norm would implyModulo five this requires $a^2\equiv 2$ or $3$, whereas squares modulo five are $0,1,4$. Thus $[P_2]\ne 1$, provingThis computes the ordinary ideal class group, with no positivity restriction on generators.

We first give an auxiliary-integral proof, rather than deducing both requested results from a theorem only stated later. The following symmetric Hermite integral obstruction will do both jobs. Supposewhere $k\ne 0$ and $b_j$ are integers, the distinct nonzero algebraic exponents form a Galois-stable set, and their weights are invariant under conjugation. Choose $P\in \mathbb{Z}[X]$ vanishing at those exponents, with $P(0)\ne 0$, and a positive integer $c$ for which every $c{\beta }_j$ is an algebraic integer. For a large prime number $p$, letAt zero, derivatives below $p-1$ vanish; the derivative of order $p-1$ equals $c^{D}P(0{)}^p$. All higher derivatives at zero are integers divisible by $p$. At each ${\beta }_j$, derivatives below $p$ vanish and all higher derivatives belong to $p{\mathcal{O}}_L$ in a Galois splitting field $L$. Indeed their coefficients contain $r!/(p-1)!$, divisible by $p$ for $r\ge p$, and every $c^D{\beta }_j^u$ is integral for $u\le D$. ConsequentlyGalois invariance makes the sum rational, and integrality makes it an integer. For prime numbers not dividing $kcP(0)$ it is nonzero.

But $F_p-F_p^{\prime }=f_p$, so integration along the straight segment to $\beta$ givesMultiply by the weights and use the assumed exponential relation. This expresses $-I_p$ as the sum of these integrals. On the finitely many fixed segments, their absolute values are at most $C^p/(p-1)!$ for a fixed $C$: all polynomial and exponential factors have fixed bounds, and $D$ is linear in $p$. Thus $|I_p|\to 0$, contradicting its being a nonzero integer. The obstruction is proved.

If $e$ were algebraic, an integral polynomial relation would give $a_0+{\sum }_{j=1}^s{a}_j{e}^j=0$ with $a_0\ne 0$. Integer exponents and weights satisfy the obstruction, so $e$ is transcendental.

If $\pi$ were algebraic, put $\alpha =i\pi$ and let ${\alpha }_1,\dots ,{\alpha }_d$ be its algebraic conjugates. Since $1+e^{\alpha }=0$, the product ${\prod }_j(1+e^{{\alpha }_j})$ vanishes. Expand it and collect equal subset sums. The zero sums contribute a positive integer $k\ge 1$; the nonzero sums give a Galois-stable list ${\beta }_j$ with positive integral multiplicities. This is precisely the prohibited relation. Hence $\pi$ is transcendental.

The general Lindemann–Weierstrass theorem states that exponentials of distinct algebraic numbers are linearly independent over $\overline{\mathbb{Q}}$. Suppose the sine quotient were algebraic, say $\gamma$. The denominator is nonzero: $\sin \beta =0$ would give a forbidden relation between the exponentials of the distinct algebraic numbers $i\beta ,-i\beta$. The quotient identity would giveThe four exponents are distinct under the stated nonzero and non-opposite assumptions, so this also contradicts linear independence. Therefore