Discrete valuation rings, partitions and \(p\)-groups. I (Q6057737)

Let \(\mathfrak{O}\) and \(\mathfrak{o}\) be discrete valuation rings with maximal ideals \(\mathfrak{P}\) and \(\mathfrak{p}\); assume \(\mathfrak{o}\) to be embedded in \(\mathfrak{O}\) in such a way that \(\mathfrak{O}\) is a finitely generated \(\mathfrak{o}\)-module. Let \(d = [\mathfrak{O}/\mathfrak{P} \colon \mathfrak{o}/\mathfrak{p}] \) and \(\mathfrak{p} \mathfrak{O} = \mathfrak{P}^e\). Theorem \(1.2\) of the paper shows how to obtain the \(\mathfrak{o}\)-module structure of a finitely generated \(\mathfrak{O}\)-module \(M \cong \oplus_{i=1}^r \mathfrak{O}/\mathfrak{P}^{n_i}\) in terms of the \(n_i\), \(d\), and \(e\). In Corollary \(1.3\) and \(1.4\), this result is brought to bear on the scenario where a finite abelian \(p\)-group (\(p\) a prime) \(A\) is acted on by a cyclic group \(\langle x \rangle\) which induces a splitting automorphism; here (see Remark \(1.1\)), \(\mathfrak{o} = \mathbb{Z}_p\) and \(\mathfrak{O} =\mathbb{Z}_p[X]/(g)\), with \(g\) the (Eisenstein) polynomial \(\sum\limits_{i=1}^p \binom{p}{i} X^{i-1}\). Corollary \(1.3\) and a well-known result of \textit{P. Schmid} [Math. Z. 175, 1--3 (1980; Zbl 0445.20031)] provide a proof of Theorem \(1.6\), stating that if a noncyclic finite \(p\)-group \(Q\) acts on a finite abelian \(p\)-group \(A\) generated by \(p-2\) elements, then \(A\) is not cohomologically trivial. Applying \textit{W. Gaschütz}'s fundamental result [Math. Z. 88, 432--433 (1965; Zbl 0199.06302)], this yields Theorem \(1.5\), stating that a finite \(p\)-group \(G\) has a non-inner automorphism of order \(p\) provided \(Z(\Phi(G))\) can be generated by \(p-2\) elements. This is a contribution to a long list of sufficient conditions for Y. Berkovich's non-inner conjecture. The paper concludes with a very interesting section containing open problems and possible extensions of the results.