On the structure of certain valued fields (Q2659099)

The authors give some new finer insights into the structure and model theory of henselian valued fields of mixed characteristic with finite ramification and perfect residue fields. In particular, they consider the following question of Basarab: for a finitely ramified henselian valued field \(K\) of mixed characteristic and ramification index \(e\), is there an integer \(N'\ge 1\) depending on \(K\) such that any finitely ramified henselian valued field of the same ramification index \(e\) is elementarily equivalent to \(K\) if their \(N'\)-th residue rings are elementarily equivalent and their value groups are elementarily equivalent ? The authors give a positive answer to this question when the \textit{residue field is perfect}. And moreover they give a general estimate on \(N'\), namely whenever \(N'\ge e(1+e_v(e))+1\), where \(e_v(x)\) is the cardinal of the interval \((0, v(x)]\) in the value group \(vK\). Basarab had studied the case of the classical local fields. Various similar results, but now of a structural kind and from which the above is a consequence, are given about \textit{complete discrete} valued fields of mixed characteristic with perfect residue fields. Here is a sample, which is essentially the main result : given two complete discrete valued fields with perfect residue fields \(K_1, K_2\), and given an integer \(n_1\ge 1\), there is an integer \(n_2\), depending only on the ramification indices of \(K_1\) and \(K_2\) (and of which an explicit estimate can be given), such that any homomorphism from the \(n_1\)-th residue ring of \(K_1\) to the \(n_2\)-th residue ring of \(K_2\) can be lifted to a homomorphism between the valuation rings. It follows that if for all integer \(n\ge 1\) the \(n\)-th residue rings of the two fields \(K_1\) and \(K_2\) are isomorphic, then the valuation rings are isomorphic, so that the fields \(K_1\) and \(K_2\) themselves are isomorphic. It is to be noted that this is not true in general for complete noetherian local noetherian rings, as shown by a counterexample of Gabber. There are more precise results and estimates, also for some principal artinian local rings of finite length, the latter being appropriately phrased in a functorial way.