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Class numbers of algebraic number fields are central invariants. Once the underlying field has an infinite unit group they behave very irregularly due to a non-trivial regulator. This phenomenon occurs already in the simplest case of real quadratic number fields of which very little is known. Hooley derived a conjectural formula for the average of class numbers of real quadratic fields. In this thesis we extend his methods to obtain conjectural formulae and bounds for any moment, i.e., the average of an arbitrary real power of class numbers. Our formulae and bounds are based on similar (quite reasonable) assumptions of Hooley's work. In the final chapter we consider the case of the -1 power from a numerical point of view and develop an efficient algorithm to compute the average for the -1 class number power without computing class numbers.

Class numbers of algebraic number fields are central invariants. Once the underlying field has an infinite unit group they behave very irregularly due to a non-trivial regulator. This phenomenon occurs already in the simplest case of real quadratic number fields of which very little is known. Hooley derived a conjectural formula for the average of class numbers of real quadratic fields. In this thesis we extend his methods to obtain conjectural formulae and bounds for any moment, i.e., the average of an arbitrary real power of class numbers. Our formulae and bounds are based on similar (quite reasonable) assumptions of Hooley's work. In the final chapter we consider the case of the -1 power from a numerical point of view and develop an efficient algorithm to compute the average for the -1 class number power without computing class numbers.

Square Form Factoring is an <i>O</i>(<i>N</i>^1/4) factoring algorithm developed by D. Shanks using certain properties of quadratic forms. Central to the original algorithm is an iterative search for a square form. We propose a new subexponential-time algorithm called SQUFOF2, based on ideas of D. Shanks and R. de Vogelaire, which replaces the iterative search with a sieve, similar to the Quadratic Sieve.

In 1883 Leopold Kronecker published a paper containing “a few explanatory remarks” to an earlier paper of his from 1866. His work loosely connected the theory of integral binary bilinear forms to the theory of integral binary quadratic forms. In this dissertation we discover the statements within Kronecker's paper and offer detailed arithmetic proofs. We begin by developing the theory of binary bilinear forms and their automorphs, providing a classification of integral binary bilinear forms up to equivalence, proper equivalence and complete equivalence. In the second chapter we introduce the class number, proper class number and complete class number as well as two refinements, which facilitate the development of a connection with binary quadratic forms. Our third chapter is devoted to deriving several class number formulas in terms of divisors of the determinant. This chapter also contains lower bounds on the class number for bilinear forms and classifies when these bounds are attained. Lastly, we use the class number formulas to rigorously develop Kronecker's connection between binary bilinear forms and binary quadratic forms. We supply purely arithmetic proofs of five results stated but not proven in the original paper. We conclude by giving an application of this material to the number of representations of an integer as a sum of three squares and show the resulting formula is equivalent to the well-known result due to Gauss.