Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2024 / ii / Paper 2 / 20F / Solution

The Dirichlet unit theorem states that for a number field of signature $(r_1,r_2)$,

For $K=\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt{5})$,The field is real quadratic, so the unit rank is one and its only roots of unity are $\pm 1$. To see that $\varphi$ is fundamental, suppose a positive unit satisfies $1<u<\varphi$. If its norm is $1$, its integral trace $u+u^{-1}$ lies strictly between $2$ and $\sqrt{5}$; if its norm is $-1$, its trace $u-u^{-1}$ lies strictly between $0$ and $1$. Neither interval contains an integer. Reducing any positive unit by a suitable power of $\varphi$ now proves the units of the quadratic field Q square root of five formula

If ${\mathcal{O}}_L^{\times }/{\mathcal{O}}_K^{\times }$ is finite, the two unit groups have the same rank, namely one. Put $d=[L:K]$ and let $(r_1,r_2)$ be the signature of $L$. ThenTherefore $r_1=4-2d$ and $r_2=2d-2$. For a proper extension, nonnegativity forceswith signature $(0,2)$.

This degree occurs: take $L=K(i)$. It is a totally imaginary quadratic extension of $K$, so the unit ranks agree and the quotient is finite. It is nontrivial because $i\in {\mathcal{O}}_L^{\times }$ but $i\notin {\mathcal{O}}_K^{\times }$ (and its coset has order two). This is the finite relative unit quotient over a real quadratic field example.

Solved by gpt-5.6-sol high.