Modularity of \(p\)-adic Galois representations via \(p\)-adic approximations (Q558189)

Let \(p>5\) be a prime, and let \[ \rho: \text{Gal}(\overline{\mathbb{Q}}/\mathbb{Q}) \rightarrow \text{GL}_2(\mathbb{Z}_p) \] be a continuous Galois representation such that \(\text{Ad}^0\overline {\rho}\) is absolutely irreducible. Assume that \(\overline {\rho}\) is modular. (This is expected by a conjecture of Serre's many cases of which have been recently proved in a series of papers by Khare and Khare-Wintenberger). Khare proposes the following approach to proving the modularity of such a \(\rho\): Starting with modularity of \(\overline {\rho}\) (and using the properties of the Galois representation in question) show that \(\rho_n\), the reduction of \(\rho\) modulo \(p^n\), arises from \(J_1(N)\), the Jacobian of the modular curve \(X_1(N)\), for some \(N\) independent of~\(n\). Given that, one can show that \(\rho\) is modular as follows. Let \(V_n\) be a sub \(\text{Gal}(\overline {\mathbb{Q}}/\mathbb{Q})\)-module of the \(p^n\)-torsion of \(J_1(N)\) of rank \(2\) over \(\mathbb{Z}/p^n{\mathbb{Z}}\) which is isomorphic to \(\rho_n\) as a Galois representation. Let \(\mathbb{T}_1(N)\) be the prime-to-\(N\) Hecke algebra of \(J_1(N)\). Then \(V_n\) is stable under the action of \(\mathbb{T}_1(N)\) and the Hecke operator \(T_q\) for a prime \(q\) not diving \(N\) acts on \(V_n\) by \(\text{Tr}\,\rho(\text{Frob}_q)\). The absolute irreducibility condition implies that only scalars commute with the \(\text{Gal}(\overline {\mathbb{Q}}/\mathbb{Q})\) action and hence the Hecke algebra acts via a morphism \(\pi_n: V_n \rightarrow \mathbb{Z}/p^n\mathbb{Z}\). The \(\pi_n\)'s are compatible for varying \(n\) and give rise to \[ \pi: \mathbb{T}_1 (N) \rightarrow \mathbb{Z}_p \] which produces a modular form of level \(\Gamma_1(N)\). One can then see easily that the Galois representation associated to this representation is isomorphic to \(\rho\). The author shows that under certain conditions one can indeed prove the existence of a fixed \(N\) as above, by invoking lifting results of Ramakrishna, level rising results of Ribet and Diamond-Taylor, and a mod \(p^n\) version of Mazur's principle for level lowering. One can replace \(\mathbb{Z}_p\) with \(W(k)\) for a finite field \(k\) of characteristic \(p\), but, as the author points out, it is essential to the method to work with unramified extensions of \(\mathbb{Z}_p\). This method is presented as an alternative to the approach initiated by Wiles where modularity is proved by providing isomorphisms between certain Hecke rings and deformation rings. The author shows that a special case of the modularity results in the work of Wiles and Taylor-Wiles can be handled in this way, and remarks that many other cases can be dealt with in this manner as well.