Normal elements in the Iwasawa algebras of Chevalley groups (Q2038396)

Let \(p\) be an odd prime and let \(G\) be a semisimple, simply connected, split Chevalley group over \(\mathbb Z_p\) that is of one of the following types: \(A_{\ell}\) with \(\ell\ge 1\), \(B_{\ell}\) with \(\ell\ge 2\), \(C_{\ell}\) with \(\ell\ge 2\), \(D_{\ell}\) with \(\ell\ge 3\), \(E_6\), \(E_7\), \(E_8\), \(F_4\), \(G_2\). Let \(G(1)\) be the kernel of the reduction of \(G(\mathbb Z_p)\) mod \(p\) and let \(\Omega_{G(1)}=\lim_{\leftarrow}\mathbb F_p[G(1)/N]\) where \(N\) runs through the open normal subgroups of \(G(1)\). An element \(W\in \Omega_{G(1)}\) is called a normal element if \(W\Omega_{G(1)} = \Omega_{G(1)}W\). The main result of the paper is that \(W\ne 0\) is a normal element if and only if \(W\), as a noncommutative formal power series, has nonzero constant term (and therefore is a unit). The proof relies heavily on work of \textit{M. Lazard} [Publ. Math., Inst. Hautes Étud. Sci. 26, 389--603 (1965; Zbl 0139.02302)] and an explicit presentation of the Iwasawa algebra. Previously. \textit{K. Ardakov} et al. [Adv. Math. 218, No. 3, 865--901 (2008; Zbl 1153.16015); J. Algebra 320, No. 1, 259--275 (2008; Zbl 1162.16013)] used different techniques to prove this result for \(G\) with an extra condition on the prime \(p\).