Vandiver's conjecture states that any prime p does not divide the class number $h(R)$ of the maximal real subfield R of the p-th cyclotomic field. The aim of this paper is to prove Vandiver's conjecture, which has several consequences including the first case of Fermat's Great Theorem. The main idea lies in using relations of the algebraic K-theory and the Iwasawa theory, discovered by M.Kervaire and M.P.Murthy in 1977.
A prime $p$ is a Wolstenholme prime if $\binom{2p}{p}\equiv2$ mod $p^4$, or, equivalently, if $p$ divides the numerator of the Bernoulli number $B_{p-3}$; a Vandiver prime $p$ is one that divides the Euler number $E_{p-3}$. Only two Wolstenholme primes and eight Vandiver primes are known. We increase the search range in the first case by a factor of $10$, and show that no additional Wolstenholme primes exist up to $10^{11}$, and in the second case by a factor of $20$, proving that no additional Vandiver primes occur up to this same bound. To facilitate this, we develop a number of new congruen…
The link between Vandiver's conjecture and Gauss sums is well known since the papers of Iwasawa (1975), Thaine (1995-1999) and Angl{è}s-Nuccio (2010). This conjecture is required in many subjects and we shall give such examples of relevant references. In this paper, we recall our interpretation of Vandiver's conjecture in terms of minus part of the torsion of the Galois group of the maximal abelian p-ramified pro-p-extension of the pth cyclotomic field (1984). Then we provide a specific use of Gauss sums of characters of order p of F\_ell^x and prove new criteria for Vandiver's conjecture to h…
A famous conjecture bearing the name of Vandiver states that $p \nmid h_p^+$ in the $p$ - cyclotomic extension of $\Q$. Heuristics arguments of Washington, which have been briefly exposed in Lang (1978), p. 261 and Washington (1996), p. 158 suggest that the Vandiver conjecture should be false if certain conditions of statistical independence are fulfilled. In this note, we assume that Greenberg's conjecture is true for the \nth{p} cyclotomic extensions and prove an elementary consequence of the assumption that Vandiver's conjecture fails for a certain value of $p$: the result indicates that th…
Let p be an odd prime, n an odd positive integer and C the p-Sylow subgroup the class group of the p-cyclotomic extension of the rationals. When log(p) is bigger than n**(224n**4), we prove that the eigenspace on C attached to the (p-n)-th power of the Teichmuller character is trivial. The proof uses the K-theory of the integers and the Voronoi reduction theory of quadratic forms.
This article deals with a conjecture generalizing the second case of Fermat's Last Theorem, called $SFLT2$ conjecture: {\it Let $p>3$ be a prime, $K:=\Q(ζ)$ the $p$th cyclotomic field and $\Z_K$ its ring of integers. The diophantine equation $(u+vζ)\Z_K=\mk w_1^p$, with $u,v\in\Z\backslash\{0\}$ coprime, $uv\equiv 0 \bmod p$ and $\mk w_1$ ideal of $\Z_K$, has no solution.} Assuming that $SFLT2$ fails for $(p,u,v)$, let $q$ be an odd prime not dividing $uv$, $n$ the order of $\frac{v}{u}\bmod q$, $ξ$ a primitive $n$th root of unity and $M:=\Q(ξ,ζ)$. The aim of this complement of the article [GQ…
We compute all irregular primes less than 163,577,356. For all of these primes we verify that the Kummer-Vandiver conjecture holds and that the lambda-invariant is equal to the index of irregularity.
We compute all irregular primes less than 2^31 = 2 147 483 648. We verify the Kummer-Vandiver conjecture for each of these primes, and we check that the p-part of the class group of Q(zeta_p) has the simplest possible structure consistent with the index of irregularity of p. Our method for computing the irregular indices saves a constant factor in time relative to previous methods, by adapting Rader's algorithm for evaluating discrete Fourier transforms.
This article deals with a conjecture, introduced in [GQ] (hereinafter $SFLT2$), which generalizes the second case of Fermat's Last Theorem: {\it Let $p>3$ be a prime. The diophantine equation $\frac{u^p+v^p}{u+v}=w_1^p$ with $u,v,u+v, w_1\in\Z\backslash\{0\}$, $u,v$ coprime and $v\equiv 0 \mod p$ has no solution.} Let $ζ$ be a $p$th primitive root of unity and $K:=\Q(ζ)$. A prime $q$ is said {\it $p$-principal} if the class of any prime ideal $\mathfrak q_K$ of $K$ over $q$ is a $p$-power of a class. Assume that $SFLT2$ fails for $(p,u,v)$. Let $q$ be any odd prime coprime with $puv$, $f$ the …
For an odd prime $p$ satisfying Vandiver's conjecture, we give explicit formulae for the action of the absolute Galois group $G_{\mathbb{Q}(ζ_p)}$ on the homology of the degree $p$ Fermat curve, building on work of Anderson. Further, we study the invariants and the first Galois cohomology group which are associated with obstructions to rational points on the Fermat curve.
Let $p>3$ be a prime. Euler numbers $E_{p-3}$ first appeared in H. S. Vandiver's work (1940) in connection with the first case of Fermat Last Theorem. Vandiver proved that $x^p+y^p=z^p$ has no solution for integers $x,y,z$ with $\gcd(xyz,p)=1$ if $E_{p-3}\equiv 0 (\bmod p)$. Numerous combinatorial congruences recently obtained by Z.-W. Sun and by Z.-H. Sun involve the Euler numbers $E_{p-3}$. This gives a new significance to the primes $p$ for which $E_{p-3}\equiv 0 (\bmod p)$. For the computation of residues of Euler numbers $E_{p-3}$ modulo a prime $p$, we use the congruence which runs signi…
Let $p$ be an irregular prime. Let $K=\Q(ζ)$ be the $p$-cyclotomic field. From Kummer and class field theory, there exist Galois extensions $S/\Q$ of degree $p(p-1)$ such that $S/K$ is a cyclic unramified extension of degree $[S:K]=p$. We give an algebraic construction of the subfields $M$ of $S$ with degree $[M:\Q]=p$ and an explicit formula for the prime decomposition and ramification of the prime number $p$ in the extensions $S/K$, $M/\Q$ and $S/M$. In the last section, we examine the consequences of these results for the Vandiver's conjecture. This article is at elementary level on Classic…
Let f be a newform of weight 2k-2 and level 1. In this paper we provide evidence for the Bloch-Kato conjecture for modular forms. We demonstrate an implication that under suitable hypothesis if a prime divides the algebraic part of L(k,f), then the prime divides the order of the Selmer group associated to f. We demonstrate this by establishing a congruence between the Saito-Kurokawa lift of f and a cuspidal Siegel eigenform that is not a Saito-Kurokawa lift. We then examine what this congruence says in terms of Galois representations to produce a non-trivial p-torsion element in the Selmer gro…
A conjecture of Mordell states that if $p$ is a prime and $p$ is congruent to $3$ mod $4$, then $p$ does not divide $y$ where $(x,y)$ is the fundamental solution to $x^{2}-py^{2}=1$. The conjecture has been verified for primes not exceeding $10^{7}$. In this article, we show that Mordell's conjecture holds for four conjecturally infinite families of primes.
Catalan's conjecture claims that the Diophantine equation $x^p-y^q=1$ admits the unique solution $3^2-2^3=1$ in integers $x,y,p,q \ge 2$. The conjecture has been finally proved by P. Mihăilescu (2002) using the theory of cyclotomic fields and Galois modules. Here, relying only on elementary techniques, we prove several instances of this classical result. In particular, we prove the conjecture in the following cases: $p$ even (due to V.A. Lebesgue), $q$ is even (due to L. Euler and Chao Ko), $x$ divides $q$, $y$ divides $x-1$, $y$ is a power of a prime, and $y\le p^{p/2}$.
A set of integers greater than 1 is primitive if no element divides another. Erdős proved in 1935 that the sum of $1/(n \log n)$ for $n$ running over a primitive set $A$ is universally bounded over all choices for $A$. In 1988 he asked if this universal bound is attained by the set of prime numbers. We answer the Erdős question in the affirmative for 2-primitive sets. Here a set is 2-primitive if no element divides the product of 2 other elements.
A divisibility sequence is a sequence of integers $\{d_n\}$ such that $d_m$ divides $d_n$ if $m$ divides $n$. Results of Bugeaud, Corvaja, Zannier, among others, have shown that the gcd of two divisibility sequences corresponding to subgroups of the multiplicative group grows in a controlled way. Silverman conjectured that a similar behaviour should appear in many algebraic groups. We extend results by Ghioca-Hsia-Tucker and Silverman for elliptic curves and prove an analogue of Silverman's conjecture over function fields for abelian and split semiabelian varieties and some generalizations of …
Let~$A$ be a quotient of $J_0(N)$ associated to a newform $f$ such that the special $L$-value of $A$ (at $s=1$) is non-zero. We give a formula for the ratio of the special $L$-value to the real period of $A$ that expresses this ratio as a rational number. We extract an integer factor from the numerator of this formula; this factor is non-trivial in general and is related to certain congruences of $f$ with eigenforms of positive analytic rank. We use the techniques of visibility to show that, under certain hypotheses (which includes the first part of the Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture on …
Let $E$ be an optimal elliptic curve over $\Q$ of conductor $N$ having analytic rank one, i.e., such that the $L$-function $L_E(s)$ of $E$ vanishes to order one at $s=1$. Let $K$ be a quadratic imaginary field in which all the primes dividing $N$ split and such that the $L$-function of $E$ over $K$ vanishes to order one at $s=1$. Suppose there is another optimal elliptic curve over $\Q$ of the same conductor $N$ whose Mordell-Weil rank is greater than one and whose associated newform is congruent to the newform associated to $E$ modulo an integer $r$. The theory of visibility then shows that u…
Kurepa's conjecture states that there is no odd prime $p$ that divides $!p=0!+1!+\cdots+(p-1)!$. We search for a counterexample to this conjecture for all $p<2^{34}$. We introduce new optimization techniques and perform the computation using graphics processing units. Additionally, we consider the generalized Kurepa's left factorial given by $!^{k}n=(0!)^k +(1!)^k +\cdots+((n-1)!)^{k}$, and show that for all integers $1<k<100$ there exists an odd prime $p$ such that $p\mid !^k p$.
For any real $x$ and any integer $k\ge1$, we say that a set $\mathcal{D}_{k}$ of $k$ distinct integers is a $k$-tuple jumping champion if it is the most common differences that occurs among $k+1$ consecutive primes less than or equal to $x$. For $k=1$, it's known as the jumping champion introduced by J. H. Conway. In 1999 A. Odlyzko, M. Rubinstein, and M. Wolf announced the Jumping Champion Conjecture that the jumping champions greater than 1 are 4 and the primorials 2, 6, 30, 210, 2310,.... They also made a weaker and possibly more accessible conjecture that any fixed prime $p$ divides all su…
Let $ω^*(n)$ be the number of primes $p$ such that $p-1$ divides $n$. Recently, R. M. Murty and V. K. Murty proved that $$x(\log\log x)^3\ll\sum_{n\le x}ω^*(n)^2\ll x\log x.$$ They further conjectured that there is some positive constant $C$ such that $$\sum_{n\le x}ω^*(n)^2\sim Cx\log x$$ as $x\rightarrow \infty$. In this short note, we give the correct order of the sum by showing that $$\sum_{n\le x}ω^*(n)^2\asymp x\log x.$$
A primitive prime divisor of an element a_n of a sequence (a_1,a_2,a_3,...) is a prime P that divides a_n, but does not divide a_m for all m < n. The Zsigmondy set Z of the sequence is the set of n such that a_n has no primitive prime divisors. Let f : X --> X be a self-morphism of a variety, let D be an effective divisor on X, and let P be a point of X, all defined over the algebraic closure of Q. We consider the Zsigmondy set Z(X,f,P,D) of the sequence defined by the arithmetic intersection of the f-orbit of P with D. Under various assumptions on X, f, D, and P, we use Vojta's conjecture wit…
We show that for every $r \geq 1$, and all $r$ distinct (sufficiently large) primes $p_1,..., p_r > p_0(r)$, there exist infinitely many integers $n$ such that ${2n \choose n}$ is divisible by these primes to only low multiplicity. From a theorem of Kummer, an upper bound for the number of times that a prime $p_j$ can divide ${2n \choose n}$ is $1+\log n / \log p_j$; and our theorem shows that for every $\varepsilon > 0$, $r \geq 1$, and any sufficiently large primes $p_1,...,p_r > p_0(\varepsilon,r)$, we can find integers $n$ where for $j=1,...,r$, $p_j$ divides ${2n \choose n}$ with multipli…
A subset of the integers larger than 1 is $primitive$ if no member divides another. Erdos proved in 1935 that the sum of $1/(a\log a)$ for $a$ running over a primitive set $A$ is universally bounded over all choices for $A$. In 1988 he asked if this universal bound is attained for the set of prime numbers. In this paper we make some progress on several fronts, and show a connection to certain prime number "races" such as the race between $π(x)$ and li$(x)$.
This article, complement to the article [Que], deals with some generalizations of Futwängler's theorems for the second case of Fermat's Last Theorem (FLT2). Let $p$ be an odd prime, $ζ$ a $p$th primitive root of unity, $K:=\Q(ζ)$ and $C\ell_K$ the class group of $K$. A prime $q$ is said $p$-principal if the class $c\ell_K (\mk q_K)\in C\ell_K$ of any prime ideal $\mk q_K$ of $\Z_K$ over $q$ is the $p$th power of a class. Assume that FLT2 fails for $(p,x,y,z)$ where $x, y, z$ are mutually coprime integers, $p$ divides $y$ and $x^p+y^p+z^p=0$. Let $q$ be a prime dividing $\frac{(x^p+y^p)(y^p+z^p…
The most common difference that occurs among the consecutive primes less than or equal to $x$ is called a jumping champion. Occasionally there are ties. Therefore there can be more than one jumping champion for a given $x$. In 1999 A. Odlyzko, M. Rubinstein, and M. Wolf provided heuristic and empirical evidence in support of the conjecture that the numbers greater than 1 that are jumping champions are 4 and the primorials 2, 6, 30, 210, 2310,... As a step towards proving this conjecture they introduced a second weaker conjecture that any fixed prime $p$ divides all sufficiently large jumping c…
In this paper we confirm three conjectures of Z.-W. Sun on determinants. We first show that any odd integer $n>3$ divides the determinant $$\left|(i^2+dj^2)\left(\frac{i^2+dj^2}n\right)\right|_{0\le i,j\le (n-1)/2},$$ where $d$ is any integer and $(\frac{\cdot}n)$ is the Jacobi symbol. Then we prove some divisibility results concerning $|(i+dj)^n|_{0\le i,j\le n-1}$ and $|(i^2+dj^2)^n|_{0\le i,j\le n-1}$, where $d\not=0$ and $n>2$ are integers. Finally, for any odd prime $p$ and integers $c$ and $d$ with $p\nmid cd$, we determine completely the Legendre symbol $(\frac{S_c(d,p)}p)$, where $S_c(…
Let $f(n,k)$ be the largest number of positive integers not exceeding $n$ from which one cannot select $k+1$ pairwise coprime integers, and let $E(n,k)$ be the set of positive integers which do not exceed $n$ and can be divided by at least one of $p_1, p_2,..., p_k$, where $p_i$ is the $i$-th prime. In 1962, P. Erd\H os conjectured that $f(n,k)=|E(n,k)|$ for all $n\ge p_k$. In 1973, S. L. G. Choi proved that the conjecture is true for $k=3$. In 1994, Ahlswede and Kachatrian disproved the conjecture for $k=212$. In this paper we prove that, for $n\ge 49$, if A(n,4) is a set of positive integers…
In this paper, we introduce and study a variant of Kummer's notion of (ir)regularity of primes which we call G-irregularity. It is based on Genocchi numbers $G_n$, rather than Bernoulli number $B_n.$ We say that an odd prime $p$ is G-irregular if it divides at least one of the integers $G_2,G_4,\ldots, G_{p-3}$, and G-regular otherwise. We show that, as in Kummer's case, G-irregularity is related to the divisibility of some class number. Furthermore, we obtain some results on the distribution of G-irregular primes. In particular, we show that each primitive residue class contains infinitely ma…
In 1927, Artin conjectured that any integer other than -1 or a perfect square generates the multiplicative group $\mathbb{Z}/p\mathbb{Z}^\times$ for infinitely many $p$. In \cite{MoSt}, Moree and Stevenhagen considered a two-variable version of this problem, and proved a positive density result conditionally to the generalized Riemann Hypothesis by adapting a proof by Hooley for the original conjecture (\cite{Ho}). In this article, we prove an unconditional lower bound for this two-variable problem. In particular, we prove an estimate for the number of distinct primes which divide one of the f…
Let $p$ be a prime. The $2$-primary part of the class group of the pure quartic field $\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt[4]{p})$ has been determined by Parry and Lemmermeyer when $p \not\equiv \pm 1\bmod 16$. In this paper, we improve the known results in the case $p\equiv \pm 1\bmod 16$. In particular, we determine all primes $p$ such that $4$ does not divide the class number of $\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt[4]{p})$. We also conjecture a relation between the class numbers of $\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt[4]{p})$ and $\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt{-2p})$. We show that this conjecture implies a distribution result of the $2$-class numbers of $\mat…
For a fixed odd prime q we investigate the first and second order terms of the asymptotic series expansion for the number of n\le x such that q does not divide phi(n). Part of the analysis involves a careful study of the Euler-Kronecker constants for cyclotomic fields. In particular, we show that the prime k-tuples conjecture and a conjecture of Ihara about the distribution of these Euler-Kronecker constants cannot be both true.
A set of positive integers is primitive (or 1-primitive) if no member divides another. Erdős proved in 1935 that the weighted sum $\sum1/(n \log n)$ for $n$ ranging over a primitive set $A$ is universally bounded over all choices for $A$. In 1988 he asked if this universal bound is attained by the set of prime numbers. One source of difficulty in this conjecture is that $\sum n^{-λ}$ over a primitive set is maximized by the primes if and only if $λ$ is at least the critical exponent $τ_1 \approx 1.14$. A set is $k$-primitive if no member divides any product of up to $k$ other distinct members.…
