No label defined (Q4454820)

The letter \(p\) denotes an odd prime. Let \(A\) be the \(p\)-Sylow subgroup of the ideal class group of \(\mathbb{Q}(\zeta_p)\). By using a system of orthogonal idempotents of \(\mathbb{Z}[\text{Gal} (\mathbb{Q}(\zeta_p)/\mathbb{Q})]\), it is possible to decompose \(A\) into ``eigenspaces'' for the natural action of the Galois group \(\text{Gal}(\mathbb{Q} (\zeta_p)/\mathbb{Q})\) on \(A\): \(A= \oplus^{p-2}_{i=0}A_i\). Vandiver's conjecture says that, when \(i\) is even, \(A_i\) always vanishes. Using the proof of a theorem of Kurihara, C. Soulé showed in 1998 that if \(n>1\) is odd and small compared to \(p\) then \(A_{p-n}=0\). The Soulé-Kurihara method is based on the surjectivity of the ``Chern map'': \(K_{2n-2}(\mathbb{Z})\otimes p\mathbb{Z}\to A_{p-n}\). In this article, the author gives a sketch of the proof of Soulé's theorem. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0977.00024].