Small generators of number fields

If K is a number field of degree n over Q with discriminant D _K and if α∈K generates K, i.e. K=Q(α), then the height of α satisfies with . The paper deals with the existence of small generators of number fields in this sense. We show: (1) For each $n$ there are infinitely many number fields K of degree $n$ with a generator α such that . (2) There is a constant d ² such that every imaginary quadratic number field has a generator α which satisfies .?(3) If K is a totally real number field of prime degree n then one can find an integral generator α with . Received: 10 January 1997 / Revised version: 13 January 1998