Kernel Groups and nontrivial Galois module structure of imaginary quadratic fields

Abstract

Let $K$ be an algebraic number field with ring of integers $\Cal{O}_{K}$, $p>2$ be a rational prime and $G$ be the cyclic group of order $p $. Let $Λ$ denote the order $\Cal{O}_{K}[G].$ Let $Cl(Λ)$ denote the locally free class group of $Λ$ and $D(Λ)$ the kernel group, the subgroup of $Cl(Λ)$ consisting of classes that become trivial upon extension of scalars to the maximal order. If $p$ is unramified in $K$, then $D(Λ) = T(Λ)$, where $T(Λ)$ is the Swan subgroup of $Cl(Λ).$ This yields upper and lower bounds for $D(Λ)$. Let $R(Λ)$ denote the subgroup of $Cl(Λ)$ consisting of those classes realizable as rings of integers, $\Cal{O}_{L},$ where $L/K$ is a tame Galois extension with Galois group $Gal(L/K) \cong G.$ We show under the hypotheses above that $T(Λ)^{(p-1)/2} \subseteq R(Λ) \cap D(Λ) \subseteq T(Λ)$, which yields conditions for when $T(Λ)=R(Λ) \cap D(Λ)$ and bounds on $R(Λ) \cap D(Λ)$. We carry out the computation for $K=\Bbb{Q}(\sqrt{-d}), d>0, d \neq 1$ or $3.$ In this way we exhibit primes $p$ for which these fields have tame Galois field extensions of degree $p$ with nontrivial Galois module structure.