Computing Arakelov class groups
René Schoof · arXiv (Cornell University) · 2008
Shanks's infrastructure algorithm and Buchmann's algorithm for computing class groups and unit groups of rings of integers of algebraic number fields are most naturally viewed as computations inside Arakelov class groups. In this paper we discuss the basic properties of Arakelov class groups and of the set of reduced Arakelov divisors. As an application we describe Buchmann's algorithm in this context.