Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2001 / iii / Paper 74 / 8

The hypotheses make $K$ a CM-field, with nontrivial automorphism $c$ over the totally real number field $k$. In every complex embedding of $K$, this automorphism acts as complex conjugation. Write $E_K={\mathcal{O}}_K^{\times }$, $E_k={\mathcal{O}}_k^{\times }$ and ${\mu }_K$ for the finite cyclic group of roots of unity in $K$.

For any $u\in E_K$, the element $u/c(u)$ is an algebraic integer, indeed a unit, and every conjugate has absolute value one. The Kronecker theorem on algebraic integers in the unit disk makes it a root of unity. For clarity, the essential proof is finite: the conjugates of all positive powers have modulus one, so the integer coefficients of their monic minimal polynomials are bounded by fixed binomial coefficients. There are only finitely many such polynomials and roots; two powers coincide, forcing a root of unity.

Thusis a homomorphism. Its kernel is exactly $E_k$, since a conjugation-fixed element lies in $k$ and both it and its inverse are integral there. For $\zeta \in {\mu }_K$, $c(\zeta )={\zeta }^{-1}$ and $\varphi (\zeta )={\zeta }^2$. Consequently $\varphi$ induces an injectionTo check injectivity explicitly, if $\varphi (u)={\zeta }^2$, then $\varphi (u/\zeta )=1$, so $u/\zeta \in E_k$. The cyclic group ${\mu }_K$ has even order because it contains $-1$, and its quotient by squares has order two. Therefore the unit index of a CM-field satisfies

Let $H_k$ be the ordinary Hilbert class field of $k$. Its real places split completely, so $H_k$ is totally real. Since $K/k$ is quadratic and $K$ is totally imaginary, $H_k\cap K$ cannot equal $K$; hence it equals $k$. Therefore the compositum $K{H}_k$ hasand is an abelian extension of $K$, by restriction of the Galois group to $H_k$. At finite primes it is unramified because unramified extensions remain unramified under base change. The field $K$ has no real places, so there is no infinite-place ramification condition left. Thus $K{H}_k\subseteq H_K$, where $H_K$ is the Hilbert class field of $K$. Since $[H_K:K]=h_K$, the tower degree formula proves class number divisibility for a CM extension:This argument uses the ordinary class field with split real places; replacing it silently by the narrow class field would invalidate the claim that $H_k$ is totally real.