Let L be a finite extension of a number field K with ring of integers and respectively. One can consider as a projective module over . The highest exterior power of as an module gives an element of the class group of , called the Steinitz module. These considerations work also for algebraic curves where we prove that for a finite unramified cover Y of an algebraic curve X, the Steinitz module as an element of the Picard group of X is the sum of the line bundles on X which become trivial when pulled back to Y. We give some examples to show that this kind of result is not true for number fields. We also make some remarks on the capitulation problem for both number field and function fields. (An ideal in is said to capitulate in L if its extension to is a principal ideal.)

Let G be a finite group and let C be the family of cyclic subgroups of G. We show that the normal subgroup H of U = U(ZpG) generated by U(ZpC), C ∊ C, where Zp is the ring of p-adic integers, is of finite index in U.

In this brief note, we will show how in principle to find all units in the integral group ring ZG, whenever G is a finite group such that and Z(G) each have exponent 2, 3, 4 or 6. Special cases include the dihedral group of order 8, whose units were previously computed by Polcino Milies [5], and the group discussed by Ritter and Sehgal [6]. Other examples of noncommutative integral group rings whose units have been computed include , but in general very little progress has been made in this direction. For basic information on units in group rings, the reader is referred to Sehgal [7].

Let G be a group, let RG be the group ring of the group G over the unital commutative ring R and let U(RG) be its group of units. Conditions which imply that U(RG) contains no free noncyclic group are studied, when R is a field of characteristic p ≠ 0, not algebraic over its prime field, and G is a solvable-by-finite group without p-elements. We also consider the case R = ℤp, the ring of p-adic integers and G torsionby- nilpotent torsion free group. Finally, the residual nilpotence of U(ℤpG) is investigated.

If A is an elementary abelian group, let (A) denote the group of units, modulo torsion, of the group ring Z[A]. We study (A) by means of the composite

where C and B run over all cyclic subgroups and factor-groups, respectively. This map, γ, is known to be injective; its index, too, is known. In this paper, we determine the rank of γ tensored (over Z);with various fields. Our main result depends only on the functoriality of

Let KG be the group ring of the group G over the field K and U(KG) its unit group. When G is finite we derive conditions which imply that every noncentral subnormal subgroup of U(KG) contains a free group of rank two. We also show that residual nilpotence of U(KG) coincides with nilpotence, this being no longer true if G is infinite.

We can answer partially the following question: when is G sub-normal in U(KG)?

In this paper we give necessary and sufficient conditions under which the group of units of a group ring of a finite group G over a field K does not contain a free subgroup of rank 2.

Some extensions of this results to infinite nilpotent and FC groups are also considered.

Let D be a division algebra whose class [D] is in B(K), the Brauer group of an algebraic number field K. If [D⊗KL] is the trivial class in B(L), then we say that L is a splitting field for D or L splits D. The splitting fields in D of smallest dimension are the maximal subfields of D. Although there are infinitely many maximal subfields of D which are cyclic extensions of K; from the perspective of the Schur Subgroup S(K) of B(K) the natural splitting fields are the cyclotomic ones. In (Cyclotomic Splitting Fields, Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 25 (1970), 630-633) there are errors which have led to the main result of this paper, namely to provide necessary and sufficient conditions for (D) in S(K) to have a maximal subfield which is a cyclic cyclotomic extension of K, a finite abelian extension of Q. A similar result is provided for quaternion division algebras in B(K).