Mediaspace scheduled maintenance: Aug 25, 2026 07:00 - 12:00 AM. During this time, videos will be temporarily unavailable. Check status updates.

Lecture

Class Number Formula

In courses (2)

MATH-482: Number theory I.a - Algebraic number theory

Algebraic number theory is the study of the properties of solutions of polynomial equations with integral coefficients; Starting with concrete problems, we then introduce more general notions like algebraic number fields, algebraic integers, units, ideal c ...

MATH-317: Algebra V - Galois theory

Galois theory lies at the interface of Field Theory and Group Theory. It aims to describe the algebraic symmetries of fields. We will focus on Galois theory for finite field extensions and some applications. ...

Description

This lecture covers the Class Number Formula in number theory, discussing the existence of certain elements in a ring and their properties. It delves into Lemmas and Proofs related to the formula, emphasizing the multiplicative nature of certain functions. The instructor explains the concept of a Z-basis and the regulator of a ring, providing insights into the computation of volumes. Additionally, the lecture presents a theorem related to the class number formula, showcasing the relationship between various elements in the context of rings and their discriminants.

This video is available exclusively on Mediaspace for a restricted audience. Please log in to MediaSpace to access it if you have the necessary permissions.

Watch on Mediaspace

Instructors (3)

Philippe Michel

Ph. Michel's main research interest lie in the field of analytic number theory and range over a variety of techniques and methods which include: arithmetic geometry, exponential sums, sieve methods, automorphic forms and allied representations, L-functions and more recently ergodic theory. Ph. Michel is a former student of ENS Cachan and obtained his PhD in Universté Paris XI in 1995 under the guidance of E. Fouvry. From 1995 to 1998 he was maître de conférence at Universté Paris XI and full professor at Université Montpellier II until 2008 then when he joined EPFL. Ph. Michel was awarded the Peccot-Vimont prize, has been member of the Institut Universitaire de France and wa invited speaker at the 2006 International Congress of Mathematician.

Thomas Gerber

Donna Testerman

Official source

Related concepts (27)

Class number problem

In mathematics, the Gauss class number problem (for imaginary quadratic fields), as usually understood, is to provide for each n ≥ 1 a complete list of imaginary quadratic fields (for negative integers d) having class number n. It is named after Carl Friedrich Gauss. It can also be stated in terms of discriminants. There are related questions for real quadratic fields and for the behavior as .

Class number formula

In number theory, the class number formula relates many important invariants of a number field to a special value of its Dedekind zeta function. We start with the following data: K is a number field. [K : Q] = n = r1 + 2r2, where r1 denotes the number of real embeddings of K, and 2r2 is the number of complex embeddings of K. ζK(s) is the Dedekind zeta function of K. hK is the class number, the number of elements in the ideal class group of K. RegK is the regulator of K. wK is the number of roots of unity contained in K.

Ring theory

In algebra, ring theory is the study of rings—algebraic structures in which addition and multiplication are defined and have similar properties to those operations defined for the integers. Ring theory studies the structure of rings, their representations, or, in different language, modules, special classes of rings (group rings, division rings, universal enveloping algebras), as well as an array of properties that proved to be of interest both within the theory itself and for its applications, such as homological properties and polynomial identities.

Ideal (ring theory)

In mathematics, and more specifically in ring theory, an ideal of a ring is a special subset of its elements. Ideals generalize certain subsets of the integers, such as the even numbers or the multiples of 3. Addition and subtraction of even numbers preserves evenness, and multiplying an even number by any integer (even or odd) results in an even number; these closure and absorption properties are the defining properties of an ideal.

Ring (mathematics)

In mathematics, rings are algebraic structures that generalize fields: multiplication need not be commutative and multiplicative inverses need not exist. In other words, a ring is a set equipped with two binary operations satisfying properties analogous to those of addition and multiplication of integers. Ring elements may be numbers such as integers or complex numbers, but they may also be non-numerical objects such as polynomials, square matrices, functions, and power series.

Related lectures (33)

Integral Quadratic Lattices: Properties and Adeles

Covers non-degenerate integral quadratic lattices and adèles, including their properties and definitions.

Diffie-Hellman and ElGamal Cryptosystems

Explores Diffie-Hellman key exchange, ElGamal cryptosystem, and their security applications in cryptography.

Proof of Lagrange Theorem

Covers the proof of Lagrange Theorem and explores quaternions, prime numbers, and equations.

Integrity in Algebra

Explores the properties of commutative rings and integral domains in algebra.

Algorithms for Big Numbers: Z_n and Orders