A criterion for independence of a family of \(\ell\)-adic representations (Q373479)

The author gives a general framework allowing to prove some \(\ell\)-independence results of \(\ell\)-adic representations of the Galois group of a number field. Let \(\Gamma\) be a group, and \(\rho_i\) a family of homomorphisms of \(\Gamma\) to groups \(G_i\), indexed by some set \(I\). This defines an homomorphism \(\rho=(\rho_i)\,\colon \, G \rightarrow \prod_i G_i.\) Morphisms \(\rho_i\) are said to be independent if {\parindent=10mm \begin{itemize}\item[(R)] \(\rho(\Gamma)=\prod_i \rho(\Gamma_i)\). \end{itemize}} The author considers also the weaker property {\parindent=10mm \begin{itemize}\item[(RO)] \(\rho(\Gamma)\) is a finite index subgroup of \(\prod_i \rho(\Gamma_i)\). \end{itemize}} Assume from now on that \(\Gamma\) is profinite, the \(G_i\) are locally compact, and the \(\rho_i\) are continuous (which implies that the \(\rho_i(\Gamma)\) are profinite), then one considers the following {\parindent=10mm \begin{itemize}\item[(PR)] there exists an open subgroup \(\Gamma'\) of \(\Gamma\) such that the restrictions of the \(\rho_i\) to \(\Gamma'\) are independent. In this case, \(\rho_i\) are said to be ``presque'' independent. \end{itemize}} Note that (R) \( \Rightarrow \) (RO) \( \Rightarrow \) (PR). Following datas are needed to state the main theorem {\parindent=6mm \begin{itemize}\item[-]Let \(k\) be a number field, \(\overline{k}\) an algebraic closure of \(k\), \(\Gamma_k\) the Galois group \(Gal(\overline{k}/k)\), \item[-]let \(L\) be a set of prime numbers. \item[-]For each \(\ell\in L\), let \(G_\ell\) be a Lie \(\ell\)-adic group locally compact and \(\rho_\ell\) : \(\Gamma_k \rightarrow G_\ell\) a continous homomorphism. \end{itemize}} Three extra hypothesis will be needed. {\parindent=6mm \begin{itemize}\item[1.] Hypothesis (B). There exists \(n \geq 0\), such that for all \(\ell\in L\), \(\rho_\ell(\Gamma_k)\) is isomorphic to a sub-quotient of \(\mathrm{GL}_n(\mathbb{Z}_\ell)\). In more down to earth words, this means that the \(\rho_\ell(\Gamma_k)\) are bounded. Recall that sub-quotient means quotient of a closed subgroup of \(\mathrm{GL}_n(\mathbb{Z}_\ell)\). \item[2.] Hypothesis (ST). (ST) is a kind of semi-stable condition. Let \(v\) be a non-Archimedean place of \(k\), \(k_v\) the completion of \(k\) at \(v\), \(p_v\) the residue characteristic of \(k_v\), \(\overline{v}\) be a lifting of \(v\) to \(\overline{k}\), \(I_{\overline v}\) be the corresponding inertia group. Then (ST) means that there exists a finite set \(S\) of non-Archimedean places of \(k\) such that {\parindent=12mm \begin{itemize}\item[(ST1)] If \(v\not\in S\) and \(\ell\not = p_v\), then \(\rho_\ell(I_{\overline{v}})=1\), i.e. \(\rho_\ell\) is unramified at \(v\). \item[(ST2)] If \(v\in S\) and \(\l \neq p_v\), then \(\rho_\ell(I_{\overline{v}})\) is a pro-\(\ell\)-group. \end{itemize}} \item[3.] Hypothese (PST). There exists a finite extension of \(k\) for which (ST) is satisfied. \end{itemize}} The main theorem of this article is: Théorème 1. If the family \(\rho_\ell(\Gamma_k)\) satisfies (B), and if condition (PST) holds, then there exists a finite extension of \(k\) over which the \(\rho_\ell\) are independent. The author gives three examples where this theorem applies {\parindent=6mm \begin{itemize}\item[1.] If \(A\) is an abelian variety of dimension \(d\) over \(k\), the Tate modules \(T_l(A)\) that give \(2d\) dimension of \(\Gamma_k\), satisfy (PST). This follows from a theorem of Grothendieck and Mumford over the semi-stability of Néron-models. As a consequence these representations are ``presque'' independent, as it was proven by Serre in 1986 ([\textit{J.-P. Serre}, Œuvres. Collected papers. Vol. IV: 1985--1998. Berlin: Springer (2000; Zbl 0933.01034)]). \item[2.] If \(X\) is a finite type separated scheme over \(k\), condition (PST) is satisfied for \(\ell\)-adic representations associated to compact support cohomology groups \(H^i_c(\overline{X},\mathbb{Q}_{\ell})\), and more generally cohomology groups \(H^i(\overline{X},\mathbb{Q}_{\ell})\). This follows from Katz-Laumon and Berthelot. \item[3.] One can also mix two families of \((\rho_l)\) satisfying (B) and (PST). \end{itemize}} The proof of the main theorem is tricky and relies on group theory, class field theory, group linear theory, Jordan theorems [\textit{C. Jordan}, C. R. Acad. Sci., Paris 84, 1446--1448 (1877; JFM 09.0234.02)] and Nori theorems [\textit{M. V. Nori}, Invent. Math. 88, 257--275 (1987; Zbl 0632.20030)]. Reviewer's remark: One should also underline that the article is very well written and pleasant to read.