Galois scaffolds and Galois module structure for totally ramified \(C_{p^2}\)-extensions in characteristic 0 (Q2671996)

Let \(L/K\) be a finite Galois extension of fields and let \(G=\mathrm{Gal}(L/K)\). Then the classical normal basis theorem asserts that \(L\) is free of rank \(1\) as a module over the group algebra \(K[G]\), that is, there exists an element \(\alpha \in L\) such that \(L=K[G] \cdot \alpha\). Now further assume that \(K\) is a local field of residue characteristic \(p>0\). Then a theorem of Noether asserts that the ring of integers \(\mathfrak{O}_{L}\) is free over the group ring \(\mathfrak{O}_{K}[G]\) (necessarily of rank \(1\)) if and only if \(L/K\) is at most tamely ramified. In the case that \(L/K\) is wildly ramified, many authors have investigated, in various situations, when \(\mathfrak{O}_{L}\) is free as a module over the so-called associated order \(\mathfrak{A}_{L/K} = \{ \lambda \in K[G] \mid \lambda \mathfrak{O}_{L} \subseteq \mathfrak{O}_{L} \}\). In the case that \(L/K\) is a totally ramified \(p\)-extension, a Galois scaffold is, roughly speaking, a \(K\)-basis of \(K[G]\) whose effect on the valuation of elements of \(L\) is easy to determine. In [\textit{N. P. Byott} and \textit{G. G. Elder}, J. Number Theory 133, No. 11, 3598--3610 (2013; Zbl 1295.11133)] the authors give sufficient conditions for the existence of a Galois scaffold in the case that \(L/K\) is a totally ramified extension of degree \(p^{2}\) of local fields of characteristic \(p\). Given an extension \(L/K\) that satisfies their assumptions, the lower ramification numbers \(b_{1}, b_{2}\) fall into one residue class modulo \(p^{2}\) represented by \(0 \leq b < p^{2}\). They then show that \(\mathfrak{O}_{L}\) is free over \(\mathfrak{A}_{L/K}\) if and only if \(b \mid p^{2} - 1\). Moreover, if \(\mathfrak{A}_{L/K}\) is free over \(\mathfrak{O}_{L}\) then any element \(\alpha \in L\) with \(v_{L}(\alpha)=b\) satisfies \(\mathfrak{O}_{L} = \mathfrak{A}_{L/K} \cdot \alpha\), where \(v_{L}\) denotes the normalised valuation on \(L\). The article under review translates this work into the setting in which \(K\) is a local field of characteristic \(0\) and of residue characteristic \(p>0\), and \(L/K\) is a totally ramified cyclic extension of degree \(p^{2}\). In particular, the authors construct such extensions with the property that each posses a Galois scaffold, and show that, under further assumptions on the lower ramification numbers \(b_{1},b_{2}\), the same results as described above still hold in this situation. They then use these results to give an example in which \(\mathfrak{O}_{L}\) is free over \(\mathfrak{A}_{L/K}\), and another example in which this is not the case.