Boston, Bush, and Hajir have developed heuristics, extending the Cohen-Lenstra heuristics, that conjecture the distribution of the Galois groups of the maximal unramified pro-p extensions of imaginary quadratic number fields for p an odd prime. In this paper, we find the moments of their proposed distribution, and further prove there is a unique distribution with those moments. Further, we show that in the function field analog, for imaginary quadratic extensions of F_q(t), the Galois groups of the maximal unramified pro-p extensions, as q goes to infinity, have the moments predicted by the Boston, Bush, and Hajir heuristics. In fact, we determine the moments of the Galois groups of the maximal unramified pro-odd extensions of imaginary quadratic function fields, leading to a conjecture on Galois groups of the maximal unramified pro-odd extensions of imaginary quadratic number fields.
We prove function field theorems supporting the Cohen-Lenstra heuristics for real quadratic fields, and natural strengthenings of these analogs from the affine class group to the Picard group of the associated curve. Our function field theorems also support a conjecture of Bhargava on how local conditions on the quadratic field do not affect the distribution of class groups. Our results lead us to make further conjectures refining the Cohen-Lenstra heuristics, including on the distribution of certain elements in class groups. We prove instances of these conjectures in the number field case. Ou…
This article discusses deviations from the Cohen-Lenstra heuristics when roots of unity are present. In particular, we propose an explanation for the discrepancy between the observed number of cyclic cubic fields whose 2-class group is $C_2\times C_2$ and the number predicted by the Cohen-Lenstra heuristics, in terms of an invariant living in a quotient of the Schur multiplier group. We also show that, in some cases, the definition of the invariant can be simplified greatly, and we compute the invariant when the cubic field is ramified at exactly one prime, up to $10^8$.
We study the asymptotics conjecture of Malle for dihedral groups $D_\ell$ of order $2\ell$, where $\ell$ is an odd prime. We prove the expected lower bound for those groups. For the upper bounds we show that there is a connection to class groups of quadratic number fields. The asymptotic behavior of those class groups is predicted by the Cohen--Lenstra heuristics. Under the assumption of this heuristic we are able to prove the expected upper bounds.
In this paper we give a conjecture for the average number of unramified $G$-extensions of a quadratic field for any finite group $G$. The Cohen-Lenstra heuristics are the specialization of our conjecture to the case that $G$ is abelian of odd order. We prove a theorem towards the function field analog of our conjecture, and give additional motivations for the conjecture including the construction of a lifting invariant for the unramified $G$-extensions that takes the same number of values as the predicted average and an argument using the Malle-Bhargava principle. We note that for even $|G|$, …
In this paper we make a series of numerical experiments to support Greenberg's $p$-rationality conjecture, we present a family of $p$-rational biquadratic fields and we find new examples of $p$-rational multiquadratic fields. In the case of multiquadratic and multicubic fields we show that the conjecture is a consequence of the Cohen-Lenstra-Martinet heuristic and of the conjecture of Hofmann and Zhang on the $p$-adic regulator, and we bring new numerical data to support the extensions of these conjectures. We compare the known algorithmic tools and propose some improvements.
We generalize the Cohen-Lenstra heuristics over function fields to étale group schemes $G$ (with the classical case of abelian groups corresponding to constant group schemes). By using the results of Ellenberg-Venkatesh-Westerland, we make progress towards the proof of these heuristics. Moreover, by keeping track of the image of the Weil-pairing as an element of $\wedge^2G(1)$, we formulate more refined heuristics which nicely explain the deviation from the usual Cohen-Lenstra heuristics for abelian $\ell$-groups in cases where $\ell\mid q-1$; the nature of this failure was suggested already i…
The Cohen-Lenstra-Martinet heuristics predict the frequency with which a fixed finite abelian group appears as an ideal class group of an extension of number fields, for certain sets of extensions of a base field. Recently, Malle found numerical evidence suggesting that their proposed frequency is incorrect when there are unexpected roots of unity in the base field of these extensions. Moreover, Malle proposed a new frequency, which is a much better match for his data. We present a random matrix heuristic (coming from function fields) that leads to a function field version of Malle's conjectur…
For a finite abelian 2-group $G$, we study the frequency with which quadratic imaginary number fields $K$ have 2-part of their class group $K$ isomorphic to $G$. A philosophy enunciated by Gerth extends the Cohen-Lenstra heuristics for imaginary quadratic number fields to the case $p=2$, by referencing both the 2-rank and the 4-rank of the group in question. A recent paper by Smith provides relative density statements about the $2^{k+1}$-rank of such a class group given its $2^1$- through $2^k$-ranks, for $k \geq 2$. We deduce from Smith's results an explicit automorphism-count-theoretic state…
Let g be a random element of a finite classical group G, and let λ_{z-1}(g) denote the partition corresponding to the polynomial z-1 in the rational canonical form of g. As the rank of G tends to infinity, λ_{z-1}(g) tends to a partition distributed according to a Cohen-Lenstra type measure on partitions. We give sharp upper and lower bounds on the total variation distance between the random partition λ_{z-1}(g) and the Cohen-Lenstra type measure.
Let $L/K$ be a quadratic extension of global fields. We study Cohen-Lenstra heuristics for the $\ell$-part of the relative class group $G_{L/K} := \textrm{Cl}(L/K)$ when $K$ contains $\ell^n$th roots of unity. While the moments of a conjectural distribution in this case had previously been described, no method to calculate the distribution given the moments was known. We resolve this issue by introducing new invariants associated to the class group, $ψ_{L/K}$ and $ω_{L/K},$ and study the distribution of $(G_{L/K}, ψ_{L/K}, ω_{L/K})$ using a linear random matrix model. Using this linear model, …
Cohen-Lenstra heuristics for Jacobians of random graphs give rise to random partitions. We connect these random partitions to the Hall-Littlewood polynomials of symmetric function theory, and use this connection to give combinatorial proofs of properties of these random partitions. In addition, we use Markov chains to give an algorithm for generating these partitions.
Given an elliptic curve $E$ and a finite Abelian group $G$, we consider the problem of counting the number of primes $p$ for which the group of points modulo $p$ is isomorphic to $G$. Under a certain conjecture concerning the distribution of primes in short intervals, we obtain an asymptotic formula for this problem on average over a family of elliptic curves.
Cohen and Lenstra detailed a heuristic for the distribution of odd p-class groups for imaginary quadratic fields. One such formulation of this distribution is that the expected number of surjections from the class group of an imaginary quadratic field k to a fixed odd abelian group is 1. Class field theory tells us that the class group is also the Galois group of the Hilbert class field, the maximal unramified abelian extension of k, so we could equivalently say the expected number of unramified G-extensions of k is 1/#Aut(G) for a fixed abelian group G. We generalize this to asking for the ex…
This article deals with the coherence of the model given by the Cohen-Lenstra heuristic philosophy for class groups and also for their generalizations to Tate-Shafarevich groups. More precisely, our first goal is to extend a previous result due to E. Fouvry and J. Klüners which proves that a conjecture provided by the Cohen-Lenstra philosophy implies another such conjecture. As a consequence of our work, we can deduce, for example, a conjecture for the probability laws of $p^j$-ranks of Selmer groups of elliptic curves. This is compatible with some theoretical works and other classical conject…
Motivated by questions in algebraic geometry, Yifeng Huang recently derived generating functions for counting mutually annihilating matrices and mutually annihilating nilpotent matrices over a finite field. We give a different derivation of his results using statistical properties of random partitions chosen from the Cohen-Lenstra measure.
The Cohen-Lenstra heuristic is a universal principle that assigns to each group a probability that tells how often this group should occur "in nature". The most important, but not the only, applications are sequences of class groups, which behave like random sequences of groups with respect to the so-called Cohen-Lenstra probability measure. So far, it was only possible to define this probability measure for finite abelian $p$-groups. We prove that it is also possible to define an analogous probability measure on the set of \emph{all} finite abelian groups when restricting to the $Σ$-algebra o…
For a Galois extension $K/\mathbb{F}_q(t)$ of Galois group $Γ$ with $\gcd(q,|Γ|)=1$, we define an invariant $ω_K$, and show that it determines the Weil pairing of the curve corresponding to $K$ and it descends to the prime-to-$|Γ|$-torsion part of the lifting invariants of Hurwitz schemes introduced by Ellenberg--Venkatesh--Westerland and Wood. By keeping track of the image of $ω_K$, we compute, as $K$ varies and $q\to \infty$, the average number of surjections from the Galois group of maximal unramified extension of $K$ to $H$, for any $Γ$-group $H$ whose order is prime to $q|Γ|$. Motivated b…
We investigate combinatorial properties of a family of probability distributions on finite abelian p-groups. This family includes several well-known distributions as specializations. These specializations have been studied in the context of Cohen-Lenstra heuristics and cokernels of families of random p-adic matrices.
Ellenberg, Venkatesh, and Westerland have established a weak form of the function field analogue of the Cohen--Lenstra heuristic, on the distribution of imaginary number fields with $\ell$-parts of their class groups isomorphic to a fixed group. They first explain how this follows from an asymptotic point count for certain Hurwitz schemes, and then establish this asymptotic by using the Grothendieck--Lefschetz trace formula to translate it into a difficult homological stability problem in algebraic topology, which they nonetheless solve. These are the notes accompanying my talk at the Séminair…
We prove a homological stabilization theorem for Hurwitz spaces: moduli spaces of branched covers of the complex projective line. This has the following arithmetic consequence: let l>2 be prime and A a finite abelian l-group. Then there exists Q = Q(A) such that, for q greater than Q and not congruent to 1 modulo l, a positive fraction of quadratic extensions of F_q(t) have the l-part of their class group isomorphic to A.
We prove that given any $ε>0$, random integral $n\times n$ matrices with independent entries that lie in any residue class modulo a prime with probability at most $1-ε$ have cokernels asymptotically (as $n\rightarrow\infty$) distributed as in the distribution on finite abelian groups that Cohen and Lenstra conjecture as the distribution for class groups of imaginary quadratic fields. This is a refinement of a result on the distribution of ranks of random matrices with independent entries in $\mathbb{Z}/p\mathbb{Z}$. This is interesting especially in light of the fact that these class groups ar…
The goal of this paper is to prove theorems that elucidate the Cohen-Lenstra-Martinet conjectures for the distributions of class groups of number fields, and further the understanding of their implications. We start by giving a simpler statement of the conjectures. We show that the probabilities that arise are inversely proportional the to number of automorphisms of structures slightly larger than the class groups. We find the moments of the Cohen-Lenstra-Martinet distributions and prove that the distributions are determined by their moments. In order to apply these conjectures to class groups…
In number theory, great efforts have been undertaken to study the Cohen-Lenstra probability measure on the set of all finite abelian $p$-groups. On the other hand, group theorists have studied a probability measure on the set of all partitions induced by the probability that a randomly chosen $n\times n$-matrix over $\FF_p$ is contained in a conjucagy class associated with this partitions, for $n \to \infty$. This paper shows that both probability measures are identical. As a consequence, a multitide of results can be transferred from each theory to the other one. The paper contains a survey a…
We prove a version of the Cohen--Lenstra conjecture over function fields (completing the results of our prior paper). This is deduced from two more general theorems, one topological, one arithmetic: We compute the direct limit of homology, over puncture-stabilization, of spaces of maps from a punctured manifold to a fixed target; and we compute the Galois action on the set of stable components of Hurwitz schemes.
The main aim of the present paper is to disprove the Cohen--Lenstra--Martinet heuristics in two different ways and to offer possible corrections. We also recast the heuristics in terms of Arakelov class groups, giving an explanation for the probability weights appearing in the general form of the heuristics. We conclude by proposing a rigorously formulated Cohen--Lenstra--Martinet conjecture.
We determine the average size of the 3-torsion in class groups of $G$-extensions of a number field when $G$ is any transitive $2$-group containing a transposition, for example $D_4$. It follows from the Cohen--Lenstra--Martinet heuristics that the average size of the $p$-torsion in class groups of $G$-extensions of a number field is conjecturally finite for any $G$ and most $p$ (including $p\nmid|G|$). Previously this conjecture had only been proven in the cases of $G=S_2$ with $p=3$ and $G=S_3$ with $p=2$. We also show that the average $3$-torsion in a certain relative class group for these $…
Let $(R, \mathfrak{m})$ be a complete discrete valuation ring with the finite residue field $R/\mathfrak{m} = \mathbb{F}_{q}$. Given a monic polynomial $P(t) \in R[t]$ whose reduction modulo $\mathfrak{m}$ gives an irreducible polynomial $\bar{P}(t) \in \mathbb{F}_{q}[t]$, we initiate the investigation of the distribution of $\mathrm{coker}(P(A))$, where $A \in \mathrm{Mat}_{n}(R)$ is randomly chosen with respect to the Haar probability measure on the additive group $\mathrm{Mat}_{n}(R)$ of $n \times n$ $R$-matrices. One of our main results generalizes two results of Friedman and Washington. O…
We give effective estimates for the $l^1$-distance between the corank distribution of $r \times r$ Rédei matrices and the measure predicted by the Cohen--Lenstra heuristics. To this end we pinpoint a class of stochastic processes, which we call $c$-transitioning. These stochastic processes are well approximated by Markov processes, and we give an effective ergodic theorem for such processes. With this tool we make effective a theorem of Gerth \cite{Gerth} that initiated the study of the Cohen--Lenstra heuristics for $p = 2$. Gerth's work triggered a series of developments that has recently cul…
Cohen and Lenstra have given a heuristic which, for a fixed odd prime $p$, leads to many interesting predictions about the distribution of $p$-class groups of imaginary quadratic fields. We extend the Cohen-Lenstra heuristic to a non-abelian setting by considering, for each imaginary quadratic field $K$, the Galois group of the $p$-class tower of $K$, i.e. $G_K:=\mathrm{Gal}(K_\infty/K)$ where $K_\infty$ is the maximal unramified $p$-extension of $K$. By class field theory, the maximal abelian quotient of $G_K$ is isomorphic to the $p$-class group of $K$. For integers $c\geq 1$, we give a heur…
We extend the Cohen-Lenstra heuristics to the setting of ray class groups of imaginary quadratic number fields, viewed as exact sequences of Galois modules. By asymptotically estimating the mixed moments governing the distribution of a cohomology map, we prove these conjectures in the case of $4$-ranks.
We propose a modification of the predictions of the Cohen--Lenstra heuristic for class groups of number fields in the case where roots of unity are present in the base field. As evidence for this modified formula we provide a large set of computational data which show close agreement.
Given a random real quadratic field from $\{ \mathbb{Q}(\sqrt{p}\,) ~|~ p \text{ primes} \}$, the conjectural probability $\mathbb{P}(h=q)$ that it has class number $q$ is given for all positive odd integers $q$. Some related conjectures of the Cohen-Lenstra heuristic are given here as corollaries. These results suggest that the set of real quadratic number fields may have some natural hierarchical structures.
We fix a prime number $p$ and $\K$ a number field, we denote by $M$ the maximal abelian $p$-extension of $\Ko$ unramified outside $p$. The aim of this paper is to study the $\Z_p$-module $\gal(M/\Ko)$ and to give a method to effectively compute its structure as a $\Z_p$-module. Then we give numerical results, for real quadratic fields, together with interpretations via Cohen-Lenstra's heuristics.
Let $n, u \geq 0$, $M$ be a ($n$+$u$) $\times$ $n$ matrices over $\mathbb{Z}_p$, and $G$ be a finite abelian p-group group. We find that the probability that the cokernel of $M$ is isomorphic to $\mathbb{Z}_p^u \oplus G$ as $n$ goes to infinity is exactly what is expected from Cohen-Lenstra heuristics for the classical case when $u$ is negative.
We prove that the $2^\infty$-class groups of the imaginary quadratic fields have the distribution predicted by the Cohen-Lenstra heuristic. Given an elliptic curve E/Q with full rational 2-torsion and no rational cyclic subgroup of order four, we analogously prove that the $2^\infty$-Selmer groups of the quadratic twists of E have distribution as predicted by Delaunay's heuristic. In particular, among the twists E^d with |d| < N, the number of curves with rank at least two is $o(N)$.
We investigate properties of attainable partitions of integers, where a partition $(n_1,n_2, \dots, n_r)$ of $n$ is attainable if $\sum (3-2i)n_i\geq 0$. Conjecturally, under an extension of the Cohen and Lenstra heuristics by Holmin et. al., these partitions correspond to abelian $p$-groups that appear as class groups of imaginary quadratic number fields for infinitely many odd primes $p$. We demonstrate a connection to partitions of integers into triangular numbers, construct a generating function for attainable partitions, and determine the maximal length of attainable partitions.
We quantify a recent theorem of Wiles on class numbers of imaginary quadratic fields by proving an estimate for the number of negative fundamental discriminants down to -X whose class numbers are indivisible by a given prime and whose imaginary quadratic fields satisfy any given set of local conditions. This estimate matches the best results in the direction of the Cohen-Lenstra heuristics for the number of imaginary quadratic fields with class number indivisible by a given prime. This general result is applied to study rank 0 twists of certain elliptic curves.
The number F(h) of imaginary quadratic fields with a given class number h is of classical interest: Gauss' class number problem asks for a determination of those fields counted by F(h). The unconditional computation of F(h) for h up to 100 was completed by M. Watkins, using ideas of Goldfeld and Gross-Zagier; Soundararajan has more recently made conjectures about the order of magnitude of F(h) as h increases without bound, and determined its average order. In the present paper, we refine Soundararajan's conjecture to a conjectural asymptotic formula and also consider the subtler problem of det…
We compute all the moments of a normalization of the function which counts unramified $H_{8}$-extensions of quadratic fields, where $H_{8}$ is the quaternion group of order 8, and show that the values of this function determine a constant distribution. Furthermore we propose a similar modification to the non-abelian Cohen-Lenstra heuristics for unramified G-extensions of quadratic fields for G in a large class of 2-groups, which we conjecture will give finite moments which determine a distribution. Our method additionally can be used to determine the asymptotics of the unnormalized counting fu…
