Class Number Problem

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 with class number n. It is named after the great mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss. It can also be stated in terms of discriminants. There are related questions for real quadratic fields and the behavior as

.

The difficulty is in effective computation of bounds: for a given discriminant, it is easy to compute the class number, and there are several ineffective lower bounds on class number (meaning that they involve a constant that is not computed), but effective bounds (and explicit proofs of completeness of lists) are harder.

Read more about Class Number Problem:  Gauss's Original Conjectures, Status, Lists of Discriminants of Class Number 1, Modern Developments, Real Quadratic Fields

Famous quotes containing the words class, number and/or problem:

    Planning ahead is a measure of class. The rich and even the middle class plan for future generations, but the poor can plan ahead only a few weeks or days.
    Gloria Steinem (b. 1934)

    After a certain number of years our faces become our biographies. We get to be responsible for our faces.
    Cynthia Ozick (b. 1928)

    Every reform was once a private opinion, and when it shall be a private opinion again, it will solve the problem of the age.
    Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)