We study the problem of bounding the least prime that does not split
completely in a number field. This is a generalization of the classic problem
of bounding the least quadratic non-residue. Here, we present two distinct
approaches to this problem. The first is by studying the behavior of the
Dedekind zeta function of the number field near 1, and the second by relating
the problem to questions involving multiplicative functions.
The problem of finding upper bounds for L-functions at the edge of the
critical strip has a long and interesting history. Here, the situation for
classical L-functions such as Dirichlet L-functions is relatively well
understood. The reason for this is because the size of the coefficients of
these L-functions is known to be small. Although L-functions are generally
expected to have coefficients which are bounded by a constant at the primes,
this has only been proven for a small class of familiar examples.