Pro-\(p\) Galois groups of rank \(\leq 4\) (Q1386157)

Let \(p\) be a prime \(> 2\) and \(F\) a field of characteristic not \(p\) containing a primitive \(p\)th root of unity. This paper describes all possible structures for the Galois group \(G_F(p)\) of the maximal Galois \(p\)-extension \(F(p)\) of \(F\) in the case where the rank of \(G_F(p)\) (i.e. the minimal number of (topological) generators of \(G_F(p)\)) is at most \(4\). The groups are classified using three group theoretical invariants: \(\dim_{F_p}(H^2(G_F(p))\); the \(\text{rank rk} G_F(p) := \dim_{F_p}(H^1(G_F(p))\); and the reduced rank \(\text{red.rk} G_F(p) := \dim_{F_p}(F^\times/N_F)\). Here \(N_F := \cap_{a \in F^\times}N_{F(\root{p}\of{a})/F}(a)\) and \(H^i(G_F(p)) = H^i(G_F(p),\mathbb{Z}/p\mathbb{Z})\). This paper in fact classifies almost all pro-\(p\) Galois groups of reduced rank at most \(4\), a larger class than those of rank at most \(4\). The methods used are valuation theoretic; the Galois theoretic information is used to deduce valuation theoretic information, which in turn is used to classsify the possible groups \(G_F(p)\). The Galois theoretic properties allow one to find multiplicative subgroups of \(F^\times\) satisfying certain rigidity properties (certain types of additive closure condtions), which in turn are used to find valuations with non-\(p\)-divisible value groups. Finally the structure of \(G_F(p)\) is determined via the decomposition groups of \(G_F(p)\) with respect to these valuations.