Explicit methods for the Hasse norm principle and applications to A n and S n extensions

Abstract

Abstract Let K/k be an extension of number fields. We describe theoretical results and computational methods for calculating the obstruction to the Hasse norm principle for K/k and the defect of weak approximation for the norm one torus \[R_{K/k}^1{\mathbb{G}_m}\] . We apply our techniques to give explicit and computable formulae for the obstruction to the Hasse norm principle and the defect of weak approximation when the normal closure of K/k has symmetric or alternating Galois group.