On universal norms and the first layers of \(\mathbb Z_p\)-extensions of a number field (Q2516872)

Let \(p\) be an odd prime and let \(F\) be a number field containing a primitive \(p\)-th root of unity. Denote the Kummer radical of the first layers of all \(\mathbb Z_p\)-extensions of \(F\) by \(\mathcal A_F\). In this paper the authors give upper and lower bounds for \(\mathcal A_F\) in terms of universal norms of \(p\)-units along the cyclotomic tower of \(F\) and describe the deviations between them. More precisely, let \(\overline U_F\) be the pro-\(p\)-completion of the \(p\)-units of \(F\) and consider the subgroups \[ \tilde U_F \subseteq \hat U_F \subseteq \overline U_F \] of (global) universal norms in the cyclotomic \(\mathbb Z_p\)-extension \(F_{\infty}\) and of those units which locally are universal norms in the local cyclotomic \(\mathbb Z_p\)-extensions at all \(p\)-adic places, respectively. Then it is known (and reproved in this article) that \(\mathcal A_F\) contains \(\tilde U_F (F^{\times})^p / (F^{\times})^p\). Assuming Leopoldt's conjecture at \(p\), it is shown that the cokernel of the natural inclusion is determined by \(X^{\circ}\), the maximal finite submodule of \(X_{\infty} := \mathrm{Gal}(L_{\infty} / F_{\infty})\); here, \(L_{\infty}\) is the maximal unramified abelian pro-\(p\)-extension of \(F_{\infty}\). In particular, one has an equality \(\tilde U_F (F^{\times})^p / (F^{\times})^p = \mathcal A_F\) if and only if \(X^{\circ}\) vanishes. The authors also determine the cokernel of the inclusion \[ \mathcal A_F \cap \hat U_F / p \rightarrow \mathcal A_F \] in terms of \(X^{\circ}\). Now assume in addition that the ``Gross asymptotical defect'' vanishes (i.e., \(\varinjlim_n (X_{\infty}^{G_n} \otimes \mathbb Q_p / \mathbb Z_p) = 0\) where \(G_n = \mathrm{Gal}(F_n/F)\) and \(F_n\) denotes the \(n\)-th layer of the cyclotomic \(\mathbb Z_p\)-extension). Then for \(n\) sufficiently large (this can be made more precise) the authors determine the cokernel of \[ \mathcal A_F' \rightarrow (\hat U_{F_n}' / p)^{G_n}, \] where \((-)'\) means that we factor out \(p\)-primary roots of unity. This cokernel is again determined by \(X^{\circ}\). The authors illustrate their results by various examples, where \(p=3\) and \(F\) is biquadratic.