a class in the class group of OK: indeed, it is the square of the Steinitz class for OL as a OK-module. Ramification The relative different encodes the ramification data of the field extension L / K. A prime ideal p of K ramifies in L if the factorisation of p in L contains a prime of L to a power higher than 1: this occurs if and only if p divides the relative discriminant ΔL / K. More precisely, if p = P1e(1) ... Pke(k) is the factorisation of p into prime ideals of L then Pi divides the relative different δL / K if and only if Pi is ramified, that is, if and only if the ramification index e(i) is greater than 1. The precise exponent to which a ramified prime P divides δ is termed the differential exponent of P and is equal to e − 1 if P is tamely ramified: that is, when P does not divide e. In the case when P is wildly ramified the differential exponent lies in the range e to e + eνP(e) − 1. The differential exponent can be computed from the orders of the higher ramification groups for Galois extensions: Local computation The different may be defined for an extension of local fields L / K. In this case we may take the extension to be simple, generated by a primitive element α which also generates a power integral basis. If f is the minimal polynomial for α then the different is generated by f'(α). Notes References . Retrieved 5 August 2009 Algebraic number theory