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Let $K$ be a cubic Galois extension of $\mathbb{Q}$.

I wonder if we can find a congruence for prime $p$ such that $p$ does not split completely in $K$. I know that we can do this for quadratic fields, but I am not sure for cubic fields.

Question: Does there exist a congruence for prime $p$, say $p\equiv a\textrm{ (mod } b)$ such that every prime $p$ in that congruence does not split completely in $K$?

As @Felipe Voloch mentioned, $K\subset \mathbb{Q}(\zeta_n)$ for some $n$, then how can I proceed?

Edit1: Added one more assumption on $K$(Galois over $\mathbb{Q}$)

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    $\begingroup$ No. Only when the cubic field is galois (hence abelian) over Q. $\endgroup$ Commented Sep 20, 2013 at 18:48
  • $\begingroup$ How do you prove it when the cubic field is Galois over Q? Would you please put it as an answer with proof? $\endgroup$ Commented Sep 20, 2013 at 20:18
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    $\begingroup$ Kronecker-Weber. $\endgroup$ Commented Sep 20, 2013 at 20:44
  • $\begingroup$ KW implies that $K$ is contained in a cyclotomic extension $\mathbb{Q}(\zeta_n)$, then how do you proceed? $\endgroup$ Commented Sep 20, 2013 at 21:25
  • $\begingroup$ My question does not seem to be "off-topic" as described in help center. It came from reading two papers, and this is a required step for complete understanding. $\endgroup$ Commented Sep 24, 2013 at 22:43

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I don't see why the restriction to galois extensions is necessary. Consider, for example, the non-galois cubic field $K = \mathbb Q(\sqrt[3]{2})$. Then no prime congruent to 2 mod 3 splits completely in $K$. Indeed, if $p\equiv 2\pmod 3$, then 2 has a unique cube root mod p, and so the polynomial $x^3 - 2$ factors mod p into a linear term times a quadratic. Now the ring of integers of $K$ turns out to be $\mathbb Z[\sqrt[3]{2}]$, and therefore it follows that p factors in $K$ as a product of two primes of residue degrees 1 and 2.

More generally if $K/\mathbb Q$ is a cubic extension of discriminant $d$, and if $p$ is unramified in $K$ and factors into $g$ primes there, then a formula of Stickelberger tells us that $(\frac{d}{p})=(-1)^{3-g}$. So if $(\frac{d}{p})=-1$ then $p$ factors in $K$ as a product of two primes. Quadratic reciprocity allows us to rewrite the condition $(\frac{d}{p})=-1$ in terms of congruences mod $4d$ (for odd $p$, at least, but that's good enough).

Of course if we know that $K$ is abelian, so that $K \subseteq \mathbb Q(\zeta_n)$ for some $n$, then we can use the cyclotomic decomposition laws to see that the primes that split completely in $K$ are given by congruence conditions mod $n$. (One can be more precise here: a prime splits completely in $K$ iff it belongs to one of the congruence classes in $\text{Gal}(\mathbb Q(\zeta_n)/K) \subset \text{Gal}(\mathbb Q(\zeta_n)/\mathbb Q) \cong (\mathbb Z/n\mathbb Z)^\times$.) Consequently, the leftover congruence classes will not contain any primes that split completely.

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  • $\begingroup$ Thank you, so it is achievable no matter $K$ is Galois or not. Very nice! $\endgroup$ Commented Sep 22, 2013 at 6:13
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    $\begingroup$ That's a nice answer. My negative answer in the non-galois case was for a full characterization of the non-split primes but I didn't know you could characterize the primes that factor into two prime ideals this way. $\endgroup$ Commented Sep 22, 2013 at 9:00
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    $\begingroup$ I thought this was well-known: an unramified prime $p$ splits as $\wp_1 \wp_2$ in a cubic field iff the discriminant is not a square mod $p$; so for non-cyclic fields there's a necessary congruence condition for $p$ to split completely. But finding a criterion that's both necessary and sufficient is harder. $\endgroup$ Commented Sep 22, 2013 at 18:04
  • $\begingroup$ In Faisal's example, $p$ splits completely in $\mathbb{Q}(2^{1/3})$ iff $p$ has the form $p=x^2+27y^2$. It doesn't seem to be expressed as a single congruence. $\endgroup$ Commented Sep 24, 2013 at 8:56
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    $\begingroup$ @i707107: That's because if you can characterize the totally split primes in a number field via congruence conditions alone, then said number field will necessarily be abelian/Q. $\endgroup$
    – Faisal
    Commented Oct 10, 2013 at 21:26

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