On the self-similarity index of \(p\)-adic analytic pro-\(p\) groups (Q2136387)

Given an integer \(d\geq 1\), denote by \(T_d\) a regular rooted \(d\)-ary tree. An action of a group \(G\) on \(T_d\) is said to be self-similar if for all \(g\in G\) and \(x\in X\) there exists \(h\in G\) such that for all \(v\in T_d\) one has \( g\cdot xv = (g\cdot x)(h\cdot v)\) (here the right-hand side is a juxtaposition of words). A self-similar group of index \(d\) is a group that admits a faithful self-similar action on \(T_d\) that is transitive on the first level. The class of self-similar groups contains many important examples of groups, including the Grigorchuk 2-group [\textit{R. I. Grigorchuk}, Funct. Anal. Appl. 14, 41--43 (1980; Zbl 0595.20029); translation from Funkts. Anal. Prilozh. 14, No. 1, 53--54 (1980)] and the Gupta-Sidki \(p\)-groups [\textit{N. Gupta} and \textit{S. Sidki}, Math. Z. 182, 385--388 (1983; Zbl 0513.20024)]. The study of self-similar actions of \(p\)-adic analytic groups was initiated by the authors of the paper under review [\textit{F. Noseda} and \textit{I. Snopce}, J. Algebra 540, 317--345 (2019; Zbl 1485.20071)]. The self-similarity index of a self-similar pro-\(p\) group \(G\) is defined to be the least power of \(p\), say \(p^k\), such that \(G\) is self-similar of index \(p^k\). The authors consider the following question: Is the self-similarity index of a self-similar \(p\)-adic analytic pro-\(p\) group bounded by a function that only depends on the dimension? A negative answer to the above question is a consequence of the following interesting result, proved by the authors, which showcases a new behaviour: For all primes \(p\geq 3\) and all integers \(d\), there exist infinitely many pairwise non-isomorphic self-similar 3-dimensional hereditarily just-infinite uniform pro-\(p\) groups of self-similarity index greater than \(d\). This result follows from a more general result which gives an explicit lower bound for the self-similarity index of such groups. The authors use Lie methods, more precisely, the Lazard's correspondence to translate the self-similarity problem of nice' \(p\)-adic analytic groups to the study of the virtual endormorphisms of the associated \(\mathbb{Z}_p\)-Lie lattices. In the context of \(\mathbb{Z}_p\)-Lie lattices the proofs of the results are quite technical and require a careful analysis.