Exchanging the places \(p\) and \(\infty\) in the Leopoldt conjecture (Q2566181)

Given a prime number \(p\), set \(E_p(k)=\{x\in k^\times:|x|_v=1\) for all places \(v\) of the number field \(k\), which do not divide \(p\}\). This is a finitely generated group of known rank (replacing \(p\) by \(\infty\), one sees the unit group \(E_\infty(k)\) rather than \(E_p(k))\); compare [\textit{B. H. Gross}, J. Fac. Sci., Univ. Tokyo, Sect. IA 28, 979--994 (1981; Zbl 0507.12010)] and [\textit{J. S. Milne}, Proc. Symp. Pure Math. 55, Pt. 1, 401--459 (1994; Zbl 0811.14018)]. This paper is concerned with the analogue of Leopoldt's conjecture \((E_\infty \otimes_\mathbb{Z}\mathbb{Q}_p\to k \otimes\mathbb{Q}_p\) is injective), i.e., with the map \(E_p (k)\to k\otimes \mathbb{R}\). Its injectivity predicts that certain vectors should be linearly independent over \(\mathbb{R}\) whose components are conjugates of Weil numbers (the elements of \(E_p(k)\) are rational \(p\)-Weil numbers). Using Baker's result on linear forms in logarithms part of this conjecture is verified in certain abelian situations. Moreover, \(E_p(k)\to k\otimes\mathbb{R}\) induces a map of \(E_p(k)\) into a real torus, of which the image is determined. It is an open question whether there is a connection between regulators attached to \(E_p(k)\to k\otimes\mathbb{R}\) and zeta functions (as there is for the Dirichlet, or Gross, or Leopoldt regulator).