An introduction to p-adic L-functions — Lean blueprint

12.5. Generalisations: Selmer groups and the Iwasawa–Greenberg Main Conjecture🔗

We conclude with a sketch of Greenberg's formulation of a Main Conjecture for general Galois representations, which recovers the classical statement for the trivial representation. The objects on the algebraic side are Selmer groups. We work over \cF = F_\infty^+ = \Q(\mu_{p^\infty})^+, with coefficients in a fixed finite extension L/\Qp.

Definition12.5.1
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Definition 12.5.2
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Let M be a topological \cO_L-module with a continuous \cO_L-linear action of \GG_\cF = \Gal(\overline{\cF}/\cF), unramified outside a finite set of places. A Selmer structure \cL = (\cL_v)_v for M is a choice of subspace \cL_v \subseteq H^1(\cF_v, M) for every finite place v of \cF, with \cL_v = H^1_{\mathrm{ur}}(\cF_v, M) for almost all v, where the unramified subgroup is H^1_{\mathrm{ur}}(\cF_v, M) = \ker\big(H^1(\cF_v, M) \to H^1(I_{\cF_v}, M)\big) with I_{\cF_v} the inertia group. The associated Selmer group is H^1_{\cL}(\cF, M) = \ker\Big( H^1(\cF, M) \to \bigoplus_v H^1(\cF_v, M)/\cL_v \Big), the sum over all finite places v.

We take T a finite free \Zp-module with a \GG_\Q-action attached to some arithmetic object, set V = T\otimes_{\Zp}\Qp and W = V/T \cong V\otimes(\Qp/\Zp), and take M = W. Away from p we always impose the unramified local condition; at p there are two standard prescriptions.

Definition12.5.2
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Proposition 12.5.3
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With \cF = \Q(\mu_{p^\infty})^+ and v_p the unique place of \cF above p: (Greenberg) Assume V is p-ordinary: there is a saturated finite \GG_\Q-stable filtration \Fil^\bullet V on which the inertia group I_{\Qp} acts on \Fil^i/\Fil^{i+1} through the i-th power of the cyclotomic character. Then \cL_{v_p}^{\Gr} = \ker\Big( H^1(\cF_{v_p}, W) \to H^1(I_{v_p}, W) \to H^1(I_{v_p}, W/\Fil^1 W) \Big), where \Fil^1 W is the image of \Fil^1 V in W. (Bloch–Kato) Using p-adic Hodge theory and Fontaine's ring \Bcris of crystalline periods, set H^1_f(\cF_{v_p}, V) = \ker\big(H^1(\cF_{v_p}, V) \to H^1(\cF_{v_p}, V\otimes\Bcris)\big) and \cL_{v_p}^{\mathrm{BK}} = \Im\big(H^1_f(\cF_{v_p}, V) \to H^1(\cF_{v_p}, W)\big). This refines the Selmer structure of Definition 12.5.1.

The two prescriptions agree in many fundamental cases. We now reinterpret \sX_\infty^+ as a Greenberg Selmer group for the cyclotomic twists W_n = (\Qp/\Zp)(n).

Proposition12.5.3
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Definition 12.2.2
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Let n be even and positive. With T_n = \Zp(n), V_n = \Qp(n), W_n = V_n/T_n and the Greenberg local conditions of Definition 12.5.2, the Selmer group over \cF = F_\infty^+ is H^1_{\cL^{\Gr}}(F_\infty, W_n) = \Hom_{\mathrm{cts}}(\sX_\infty^+, W_n), a twist of the Pontryagin dual of the module \sX_\infty^+ of the Main Conjecture. This uses Definition 12.2.2 and Definition 12.2.3.

Proof for Proposition 12.5.3

Since \GG_{F_\infty} acts trivially on W_n, cohomology classes are continuous homomorphisms: H^1(F_\infty, W_n) = \Hom_{\mathrm{cts}}(\GG_{F_\infty}, W_n). As \Gal(F_\infty/F_\infty^+) = \{1, c\} \cong \{\pm 1\} and p is odd, inflation–restriction gives H^1(\cF, W_n) = \Hom_{\mathrm{cts}, \{\pm1\}}(\GG_{F_\infty}, W_n), the \{\pm1\}-equivariant homomorphisms (the \GG-action being conjugation as in Definition 12.2.3). Imposing the unramified condition at all v \nmid p factors such a homomorphism through \sX_\infty = \Gal(\sM_\infty/F_\infty). At p, the Greenberg filtration \Fil^i\Qp(n) = \Qp(n) for i \le n and 0 otherwise makes the local condition \cL_{v_p}^{\Gr} empty when n \ge 1, so no further constraint is imposed and the class descends to \sX_\infty. Finally c acts on W_n by (-1)^n, so for even n>0 only the c=+1 part survives: H^1_{\cL^{\Gr}}(F_\infty, W_n) = \Hom_{\mathrm{cts}}((\sX_\infty)^{c=1}, W_n). The natural surjection \sX_\infty \twoheadrightarrow \sX_\infty^+ induces (\sX_\infty)^{c=1} \cong \sX_\infty^+, giving the stated identification with \Hom_{\mathrm{cts}}(\sX_\infty^+, W_n). For n \le 0 the same analysis adds the unramified condition at p, replacing \sX_\infty by \sY_\infty.

Theorem12.5.4
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(Iwasawa–Greenberg Main Conjecture, conjectural.) Let V be p-ordinary with Tate dual V^\vee = \Hom_{\mathrm{cts}}(V, \Qp(1)), let L_\infty(V,s) be the Gamma factor of V (a zero-free product of translates of \Gamma(s)), and let r_V be the order of the pole of L_\infty(V,s) at s=1. Then: (i) H^1_{\cL^{\Gr}}(\cF, W) has \Lam(\Gamma^+)-corank equal to r_V. (ii) If r_V = r_{V^\vee} = 0, the characteristic ideal of the Pontryagin dual of H^1_{\cL^{\Gr}}(\cF, W) equals the ideal generated by the conjectural p-adic L-function of V (an element of the fraction field of \Lam(\Gamma^+), predicted by Coates–Perrin-Riou). This generalises Theorem 12.3.1 and refers to Definition 12.5.1, Definition 12.5.2 and Definition 12.1.4.

Proof for Theorem 12.5.4
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Definition 4.3.2
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This is a conjecture, recorded here for context; we only indicate why it recovers the classical case. For even n > 0 the Selmer group is \Hom_{\mathrm{cts}}(\sX_\infty^+, W_n) by Proposition 12.5.3, whose Pontryagin dual is \sX_\infty^+(-n), the twist of \sX_\infty^+ by \chi^{-n}. In this case Greenberg's p-adic L-function is \partial^n\zeta_p, the n-th twist of Kubota–Leopoldt Definition 4.3.2, so part (ii) becomes a twist of the Iwasawa Main Conjecture Theorem 12.3.1. Strictly the case n=0 falls outside Greenberg's hypotheses, since \Qp^\vee = \Qp(1) forces r_{\Qp^\vee} = 1; but the two statements are equivalent. More general — even non-commutative — formulations exist in the work of Kato and of Fukaya–Kato.