Paper 2025/1514

Rigorous Methods for Computational Number Theory

Abstract

We present the first algorithm for computing class groups and unit groups of arbitrary number fields that provably runs in probabilistic subexponential time, assuming the Extended Riemann Hypothesis (ERH). Previous subexponential algorithms were either restricted to imaginary quadratic fields, or relied on several heuristic assumptions that have long resisted rigorous analysis. The heart of our method is a new general strategy to provably solve a recurring computational problem in number theory (assuming ERH): given an ideal class $[\mathfrak a]$ of a number field $K$, sample an ideal $\mathfrak b \in [\mathfrak a]$ belonging to a particular family of ideals (e.g., the family of smooth ideals, or near-prime ideals). More precisely, let $\mathcal{S}$ be an arbitrary family of ideals, and $\mathcal{S}_B$ the family of $B$-smooth ideals. We describe an efficient algorithm that samples ideals $\mathfrak b \in [\mathfrak a]$ such that $\mathfrak b \in \mathcal{S}\cdot\mathcal{S}_B$ with probability proportional to the density of $\mathcal{S}$ within the set of all ideals. The case where $\mathcal{S}$ is the set of prime ideals yields the family $\mathcal{S}\cdot\mathcal{S}_B$ of near-prime ideals, of particular interest in that it constitutes a dense family of efficiently factorable ideals. The case of smooth ideals $\mathcal{S} = \mathcal{S}_B$ regularly comes up in index-calculus algorithms (notably to compute class groups and unit groups), where it has long constituted a theoretical obstacle overcome only by heuristic arguments.

Note: Changelog between the submission to ePrint on 13-11-2025 and 19-02-2026. (A) Shorter proof for Lemma A.4.2 (Small changes) (I) New reference added in the proof of Lemma 2.13 (II) Small improvement in the upper bound of Lemma 26.11 (III) Some typos corrected These changes did not alter in any way the end results of this work.