Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 April 2009
Using an elementary counting procedure on biquadratic polynomials over Zp it is shown that the probability distribution of odd, unramified rational primes according to decomposition type in a fixed dihedral numberfield is identical to the probility of separable quartic polynomials (mod p) whose roots generate numberfields with normal closure having Galois group isomorphic to D4, as p → ∞. This verifies a conjecture about a converse to the Tschebotarev density theorem. Further evidence in support of this conjecture is provided in quadratic and coubic numberfields.