On the concept of level for subgroups of \(\text{SL}_2\) over arithmetic rings (Q1969000): Difference between revisions

Let \(k\) be a global field, and let \(A_S\) be the ring of \(S\)-integers for a given finite non-empty set \(S\) of places of \(k\) containing the archimedean ones. For a non-zero ideal \({\mathfrak a}\) of \(A_S\) the principal \(S\)-congruence subgroup \(\Gamma({\mathfrak a})\) of level \({\mathfrak a}\) is defined as the kernel of the canonical homomorphism \[ \operatorname {res}_{\mathfrak a}: \operatorname {SL}_2(A_S)\to \operatorname {SL}_2(A_S/{\mathfrak a}). \] A subgroup \(\Gamma\) of \(\operatorname {SL}_2(A_S)\) of finite index is called an \(S\)-congruence subgroup if there exists a non-zero ideal \({\mathfrak q}\) in \(A_S\) with \(\Gamma ({\mathfrak q}) \subset \Gamma\). Now, let \(k\) be an algebraic number field or \(\operatorname {card} (S)\geq 2\). Let \(\Gamma\) be a subgroup of finite index in \(\operatorname {SL}_2(A_S)\) and \(J(\Gamma)\) be the set of all non-zero ideals \({\mathfrak a}\) in \(A_S\) such that the normal closure \(Q({\mathfrak a})\) be the set of all unipotent matrices \(M_{\mathfrak a}= \left\{\left.\left( \begin{smallmatrix} 1 &a\\ 0 &1\end{smallmatrix} \right) \right|a\in{\mathfrak a}\right\}\) in \(\operatorname {SL}_2(A_S)\) is contained in \(\Gamma\). The level of \(\Gamma\) is the minimal element \({\mathfrak a}_\Gamma\) in \(J(\Gamma)\). If \(\Gamma\) is of level \({\mathfrak a}_\Gamma\) then \(\Gamma\) is a congruence subgroup if and only if the principal congruence subgroup \(\Gamma({\mathfrak a}_\Gamma)\) is contained in \(\Gamma\). In the case \(\operatorname {SL}_2({\mathcal O})\), where \({\mathcal O}\) is the ring of integers of an imaginary quadratic number field \(k\), this level criterion is used to determine the minimum of the indices of non-congruence subgroups.