Let K be a number field, t a parameter, F=K(t) and f in K[x] a polynomial of degree d. The polynomial P_n(x,t)= f^n(x) - t in F[x] where f^n is the n-fold iterate of f, is absolutely irreducible over F; we compute a recursion for its discriminant. Let L=L(f) be the field obtained by adjoining to F all roots, in a fixed algebraic closure, of P_n for all n; its Galois group Gal(L/F) is the iterated monodromy group of f. The iterated extension L/F is finitely ramified if and only if f is post-critically finite (pcf). We show that, moreover, for pcf polynomials f, every specialization of L/F at t=t_0 in K is finitely ramified over K, pointing to the possibility of studying Galois groups with restricted ramification via tree representations associated to iterated monodromy groups of pcf polynomials. We discuss the wildness of ramification in some of these representations, describe prime decomposition in terms of certain finite graphs, and also give some examples of monogene number fields.
We study multiplicative dependence between elements in orbits ofalgebraic dynamical systems over number fields modulo a finitely generated multiplicative subgroup of the field. We obtain a series of results, many of which may be viewed as a blend of Northcott's theorem on boundedness of preperiodic points and Siegel's theorem on finiteness of solutions to $S$-unit equations.
We prove new results on the distribution of rational points on ramified covers of abelian varieties over finitely generated fields $k$ of characteristic zero. For example, given a ramified cover $π: X \to A$, where $A$ is an abelian variety over $k$ with a dense set of $k$-rational points, we prove that there is a finite-index coset $C \subset A(k)$ such that $π(X(k))$ is disjoint from $C$. Our results do not seem to be in the range of other methods available at present; they confirm predictions coming from Lang's conjectures on rational points, and also go in the direction of an issue raised …
Let $\ell>2$ be a positive integer, $ζ_\ell$ a primitive $\ell$-th root of unity, and $K$ a number field containing $ζ_\ell+ζ_\ell^{-1}$ but not $ζ_\ell$. In a recent paper, Chonoles et. al. study iterated towers of number fields over $K$ generated by the generalized Rikuna polynomial, $r_n(x,t;\ell) \in K(t)[x]$. They note that when $K = \mathbb{Q}$, $t \in \{0,1\}$, and $\ell=3$, the only ramified prime in the resulting tower is 3, and they ask under what conditions is the number of ramified primes small. In this paper, we apply a theorem of Guàrdia, Montes, and Nart to derive a formula for …
Given a hilbertian field $k$ of characteristic zero and a finite Galois extension $E/k(T)$ with group $G$ such that $E/k$ is regular, we produce some specializations of $E/k(T)$ at points $t_0 \in \mathbb{P}^1(k)$ which have the same Galois group but also specified inertia groups at finitely many given primes. This result has two main applications. Firstly we conjoin it with previous works to obtain Galois extensions of $\mathbb{Q}$ of various finite groups with specified local behavior - ramified or unramified - at finitely many given primes. Secondly, in the case $k$ is a number field, we pr…
Let $G$ be a split reductive group with $\dim Z(G) \leq 1$. We show that for any prime $p$ that is large enough relative to $G$, there is a finitely ramified Galois representation $ρ\colon Γ_{\mathbb Q} \to G(\mathbb Z_p)$ with open image. We also show that for any given integer $e$, if the index of irregularity of $p$ is at most $e$ and if $p$ is large enough relative to $G$ and $e$, then there is a Galois representation $Γ_{\mathbb Q} \to G(\mathbb Z_p)$ ramified only at $p$ with open image, generalizing a theorem of A. Ray. The first type of Galois representation is constructed by lifting a…
- Let p be a prime number and K an algebraic number field. What is the arithmetic structure of Galois extensions L/K having p-adic analytic Galois group $Γ$ = Gal(L/K)? The celebrated Tame Fontaine-Mazur conjecture predicts that such extensions are either deeply ramified (at some prime dividing p) or ramified at an infinite number of primes. In this work, we take up a study (initiated by Boston) of this type of question under the assumption that L is Galois over some subfield k of K such that [K : k] is a prime = p. Letting $σ$ be a generator of Gal(K/k), we study the constraints posed on the …
Let $K$ be a number field or a function field of characteristic 0. If $K$ is a number field, assume the $abc$-conjecture for $K$. We prove a variant of Zsigmondy's theorem for ramified primes in preimage fields of rational functions in $K(x)$ that are not postcritically finite. For example, suppose $K$ is a number field and $f\in K[x]$ is not postcritically finite, and let $K_n$ be the field generated by the $n$th iterated preimages under $f$ of $β\in K$. We show that for all large $n$, there is a prime of $K$ that ramifies in $K_n$ and does not ramify in $K_m$ for any $m<n$.
This paper proves a commutative algebraic extension of a generalized Skolem-Mahler-Lech theorem due to the first author. Let $A$ be a finitely generated commutative $K$-algebra over a field of characteristic $0$, and let $σ$ be a $K$-algebra automorphism of $A$. Given ideals $I$ and $J$ of $A$, we show that the set $S$ of integers $m$ such that $σ^m(I) \supseteq J$ is a finite union of complete doubly infinite arithmetic progressions in $m$, up to the addition of a finite set. Alternatively, this result states that for an affine scheme $X$ of finite type over $K$, an automorphism $σ\in {\rm Au…
To extend Iwasawa's classical theorem from ${\mathbb Z}_p$-towers to ${\mathbb Z}_p^d$-towers, Greenberg conjectured that the exponent of $p$ in the $n$-th class number in a ${\mathbb Z}_p^d$-tower of a global field $K$ ramified at finitely many primes is given by a polynomial in $p^n$ and $n$ of total degree at most $d$ for sufficiently large $n$. This conjecture remains open for $d\geq 2$. In this paper, we prove that this conjecture is true in the function field case. Further, we propose a series of general conjectures on $p$-adic stability of zeta functions in a $p$-adic Lie tower of funct…
We consider an algebraic surface. For an irreducible curve on this surface and for a point on this curve one can associate an artinian ring, which is a sum of two-dimensional local fields. An example of two-dimensional local field is iterated Laurent series. We consider an integer value symbol on a two-dimensional local field. This symbol appears for the description of non-ramified coverings of two-dimensional local fields and for the description of intersection index of divisors on surfaces by adeles. We interpret this symbol as the commutator of lifting of elements in the central extension o…
We consider the family of CM-fields which are pro-p p-adic Lie extensions of number fields of dimension at least two, which contain the cyclotomic Z_p-extension, and which are ramified at only finitely many primes. We show that the Galois groups of the maximal unramified abelian pro-p extensions of these fields are not always pseudo-null as Iwasawa modules for the Iwasawa algebras of the given p-adic Lie groups. The proof uses Kida's formula for the growth of lambda-invariants in cyclotomic Z_p-extensions of CM-fields. In fact, we give a new proof of Kida's formula which includes a slight weak…
Let $E$ be an elliptic curve defined over a number field $F$ with good ordinary reduction at all primes above $p$, and let $F_\infty$ be a finitely ramified uniform pro-$p$ extension of $F$ containing the cyclotomic $\mathbb{Z}_p$-extension $F_{cyc}$. Set $F^{(n)}$ be the $n$-th layer of the tower, and $F^{(n)}_{cyc}$ the cyclotomic $\mathbb{Z}_p$-extension of $F^{(n)}$. We study the growth of the rank of $E(F^{(n)})$ by analyzing the growth of the $λ$-invariant of the Selmer group over $F^{(n)}_{cyc}$ as $n\rightarrow \infty$. This method has its origins in work of A.Cuoco, who studied $\math…
We investigate Diophantine definability and decidability over some subrings of algebraic numbers contained in quadratic extensions of totally real algebraic extensions of $\mathbb Q$. Among other results we prove the following. The big subring definability and undecidability results previously shown by the author to hold over totally complex extensions of degree 2 of totally real number fields, are shown to hold for {\it all} extensions of degree 2 of totally real number fields. The definability and undecidability results for integral closures of ``small'' and ``big'' subrings of number fields…
We extend results of Videla and Fukuzaki to define algebraic integers in large classes of infinite algebraic extensions of Q and use these definitions for some of the fields to show the first-order undecidability. We also obtain a structural sufficient condition for definability of the ring of integers over its field of fractions. In particular, we show that the following propositions hold. (1) For any rational prime $q$ and any positive rational integer $m$, algebraic integers are definable in any Galois extension of Q where the degree of any finite subextension is not divisible by $q^{m}$. (…
In this paper we introduce a new method for finding Galois groups by computer. This is particularly effective in the case of Galois groups of p-extensions ramified at finitely many primes but unramified at the primes above p. Such Galois groups have been regarded as amongst the most mysterious objects in number theory. Very little has hitherto been discovered regarding them despite their importance in studying p-adic Galois representations unramified at p. The conjectures of Fontaine-Mazur say that they should have no p-adic analytic quotients (equivalently, the images of the Galois representa…
Given two monic polynomials f and g with coefficients in a number field K, and some a in K, we examine the action of the absolute Galois group of K on the directed graph of iterated preimages of a under the correspondence g(y)=f(x), assuming that deg(f)>deg(g) and that gcd(deg(f), deg(g))=1. If a prime of K exists at which f and g have integral coefficients, and at which a is not integral, we show that this directed graph of preimages consists of finitely many Galois-orbits. We obtain this result by establishing a p-adic uniformization of such correspondences, tenuously related to Bottcher's u…
Given a finite endomorphism $φ$ of a variety $X$ defined over the field of fractions $K$ of a Dedekind domain, we study the extension $K(φ^{-\infty}(α)) : = \bigcup_{n \geq 1} K(φ^{-n}(α))$ generated by the preimages of $α$ under all iterates of $φ$. In particular when $φ$ is post-critically finite, i.e., there exists a non-empty, Zariski-open $W \subseteq X$ such that $φ^{-1}(W) \subseteq W$ and $φ: W \to X$ is étale, we prove that $K(φ^{-\infty}(α))$ is ramified over only finitely many primes of $K$. This provides a large supply of infinite extensions with restricted ramification, and genera…
Let $\{ρ_\ell\}_\ell$ be the system of $\ell$-adic representations arising from the $i$th $\ell$-adic cohomology of a complete smooth variety $X$ defined over a number field $K$. Let $Γ_\ell$ and $\mathbf{G}_\ell$ be respectively the image and the algebraic monodromy group of $ρ_\ell$. We prove that the reductive quotient of $\mathbf{G}_\ell^\circ$ is unramified over every degree 12 totally ramified extension of $\mathbb{Q}_\ell$ for all sufficiently large $\ell$. We give a necessary and sufficient condition $(\ast)$ on $\{ρ_\ell\}_\ell$ such that for all sufficiently large $\ell$, the subgrou…
Given a group $G$ and a number field $K$, the Grunwald problem asks whether given field extensions of completions of $K$ at finitely many places can be approximated by a single field extension of $K$ with Galois group G. This can be viewed as the case of constant groups $G$ in the more general problem of determining for which $K$-groups $G$ the variety $\mathrm{SL}_n/G$ has weak approximation. We show that away from an explicit set of bad places both problems have an affirmative answer for iterated semidirect products with abelian kernel. Furthermore, we give counterexamples to both assertions…
For a finite abelian p-group A of rank d, we define its (logarithmic) mean exponent to be the base-p logarithm of the d-th root of its cardinality. We study the behavior of the mean exponent of p-class groups in towers of number fields. By combining techniques from group theory with the Tsfasman-Valdut generalization of the Brauer-Siegel Theorem, we construct infinite tamely ramified towers in which the mean exponent of class groups remains bounded. Several explicit examples with p=2 are given. We introduce an invariant M(G) attached to a finitely generated FAb pro-p group G which measures the…
Faltings' theorem [Fal83],[Fal91] (formerly the Mordell conjecture [Mo22]) states that a curve of genus greater than one over any number field has only finitely many points. Again a natural question is how many points can such a curve have. Caporaso, Harris, and Mazur [CHM97] have shown that the weak Bombieri-Lang conjecture implies that for any number field $F$ and any integer $g \ge 2$ there is an absolute upper bound $B(F; g)$ on the number of points on a genus $g$ curve over $F$. Furthermore, the strong Bombieri-Lang conjecture implies that for each genus $g \ge 2$, there is an absolute bo…
