The smallest prime that does not split completely in a number field

Xiannan Li

Published 2010-03-30, updated 2012-02-05Version 4

We study the problem of bounding the least prime that does not split completely in a number field. This is a generalization of the classic problem of bounding the least quadratic non-residue. Here, we present two distinct approaches to this problem. The first is by studying the behavior of the Dedekind zeta function of the number field near 1, and the second by relating the problem to questions involving multiplicative functions. We derive the best known bounds for this problem for all number fields with degree greater than 2. We also derive the best known upper bound for the residue of the Dedekind zeta function in the case where the degree is small compared to the discriminant.