Kummer's lemma for prime power cyclotomic fields (Q1183261)

Let \(\eta\) be a unit in the \(p^ n\)th cyclotomic field \(K_ n=\mathbb{Q}(\zeta_{p^ n})\), where \(p\) is an odd prime and \(n\geq 1\). The author studies the problem when \(\eta\) is a \(p\)th power in \(K_ n\). For \(n=1\), Kummer's Lemma states that this happens at least when \(p\) is regular and \(\eta\) is congruent to a rational integer \(\bmod p\). In a previous work [Ill. J. Math. 23, 635--647 (1979; Zbl 0427.12004)] the author was able to replace these conditions by the following: \(\eta\) is congruent to a rational integer \(\bmod p^{M+1}\), where \(M\) is an integer depending on the \(p\)-adic \(L\)-functions attached to \(K_ 1\) (\(M=0\) if \(p\) is regular). Now he takes up the general case of \(n\geq 1\) and proves that it is enough to assume \(\eta\equiv 1\pmod{p^ n\pi_ n^{M-1}}\), where \(\pi_ n=\zeta_{p^ n}-1\) and \(M\) is the maximum of the \(p\)-adic exponential values (to the base \(\pi_ n\)) of the numbers \(\tau(\chi^{-1})L_ p(1,\chi)\). Here \(\chi\) runs through the even nontrivial characters of \(K_ n\) and \(\tau\) denotes the Gauss sum. He also shows that the congruence may be written as \(\eta\equiv c\), with any rational integer \(c\), provided the factor \(p^ n\) in the above modulus is replaced by \(p^{2n-1}\).