On the self-duality of \(\mathbb{Q}_ p\) (Q1908471): Difference between revisions

The additive group of the field \(\mathbb{Q}_p\) of \(p\)-adic numbers has \(\mathbb{Z}_p\), the \(p\)-adic integers, as a compact open subgroup. The quotient group \(\mathbb{Q}_p/\mathbb{Z}_p\) is the discrete group \(\mathbb{Z}/p^\infty\), which can be taken to be the image of \(\mathbb{Z}[1/p]\) in \(R/\mathbb{Z}\). Now \(\mathbb{Z}/p^\infty\) happens to be Pontryagin dual of \(\mathbb{Z}_p\), so there exists an extension of (topological) Abelian groups of the form \(0 \to A \to E \to A^* \to 0\) with \(A\) compact. Since \(A^{**} \approx A\), the dual is the exact sequence \(0 \leftarrow A^* \leftarrow E^* \leftarrow A \leftarrow 0\). So \(E^*\) and \(E\) are extensions of the same two groups. The authors prove that for \(\mathbb{Q}_p\) the extensions are the same.