Some remarks on finite submodules of the unramified Iwasawa module of totally real fields (Q2225638)

Let \(p\) be a prime and let \(k_{\infty}\) be the cyclotomic \(\mathbb Z_p\)-extension of a number field \(k\). Let \(L\) resp. \(M\) be the maximal abelian pro-\(p\)-extension of \(k_{\infty}\) which is everywhere unramified resp. unramified away from the \(p\)-adic places. The author considers the maximal finite submodule \(X_{k_{\infty}}^0\) of the standard Iwasawa module \(X_{k_{\infty}} := \mathrm{Gal}(L/k_{\infty})\) under the assumption that there is a unique \(p\)-adic place above \(p\) which is totally ramified along \(k_{\infty}/k\). \par Denote the Sylow \(p\)-subgroup of the class group of a number field \(F\) by \(A_F\). Then it is shown that \(X_{k_{\infty}}^0\) is non-trivial if and only if the natural map \(A_k \rightarrow A_{k_n}\) is not injective for some \(n\). Under further hypotheses (including Leopoldt's conjecture for \(k\) at \(p\)) this is in turn equivalent to \(M \not=L\). \par These results may be seen as analogues of results of \textit{R. Greenberg} [Am. J. Math. 98, 263--284 (1976; Zbl 0334.12013)] (where it is shown that \(X_{k_{\infty}}\) is pseudo-null if and only if \(A_k \rightarrow A_{k_n}\) is trivial for some \(n\)) and of \textit{M. Ozaki} [Tohoku Math. J. (2) 49, No. 3, 431--435 (1997; Zbl 0896.11044)] (where \(p\) is totally split in \(k\)).