The structure of the Iwasawa module associated with a \(\mathbb{Z}^ r_ p\)-extension of a \(p\)-adic local field of characteristic 0 (Q1174961)

Let \(K\) be a finite extension of \(\mathbb{Q}_ p\) of degree \(d\) and assume \(L\) is a Galois extension of \(K\) such that \(\text{Gal}(L/K)\simeq\mathbb{Z}^ r_ p\) for some \(r\geq 1\). Let \(L^{ab,p}\) be the maximal abelian pro-\(p\)-extension of \(L\). Then \(M_ r=\text{Gal}(L^{ab,p}/L)\) can be given the structure of a \(\Lambda_ r\)-module, where \(\Lambda_ r=\mathbb{Z}_ p[[T_ 1,\ldots,T_ r]]\). The author proves that the \(\Lambda_ r\)- rank of \(M_ r\) is \(d\). When \(r=1\) or 2, he shows that \(M_ r\) is a free \(\Lambda_ r\)-module if \(L\) contains no \(\ell\)-th roots of unity, and \(M_ r\) has depth \(r\) otherwise. When \(r\geq 3\), he shows that the depth of \(M_ r\) is 3, and obtains as a corollary that \(M_ r\) is not free. This last corollary had previously been obtained by \textit{J. P. Wintenberger} [Compos. Math. 42, 89-103 (1980; Zbl 0414.12008)] and by \textit{T. Nguyen-Quang-Do} [J. Reine Angew. Math. 333, 133-143 (1982; Zbl 0481.12005)]. In the case \(r=1\), the above results are due to \textit{K. Iwasawa} [Ann. Math., II. Ser. 98, 246-326 (1973; Zbl 0285.12008)]. It has been pointed out to the reviewer that the results of the present paper also can be deduced from work of \textit{T. Nguyen-Quang-Do} [Lect. Notes Math. 1068, 167-185 (1984; Zbl 0543.12007)], who uses a more cohomological approach than the present author.