Number Fields – Hilbert Class Field as Abelian Extension of Q

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Given a number field $K$, when is its Hilbert class field an abelian extension of $\mathbb{Q}$? I am going to be on the road soon, so pleas don't be offended if I don't respond quickly to a comment.

Best Answer

The genus class field of an extension $K/F$ is defined to be the largest extension $L/K$ with the following properties:

  1. $L/K$ is unramified
  2. $L$ is the compositum of $K/F$ and an abelian extension $A/F$.

Thus the quick answer to your question is: the Hilbert class field of $K$ is abelian over ${\mathbb Q}$ if and only if the Hilbert class field of $K$ coincides with its genus class field.

The not-so-quick answer would tell you more about the construction of the genus class field. For abelian extensions of the rationals, the construction is easy: everything you'd like to know should be contained in Frölich's book

  • Central extensions, Galois groups, and ideal class groups of number fields AMS 1983

Basically you will have to look for the largest abelian extension of ${\mathbb Q}$ with the same conductor as $K/{\mathbb Q}$.

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