Polynomial equations for matrices over integers modulo a prime power and the cokernel of a random matrix (Q6051128)

Let \(A=\mathbb Z/p^k\mathbb Z\), where \(p\) is a prime and \(k\in\mathbb Z_{\geqslant 1}\), and let \(P(t)\in(\mathbb Z/p^k\mathbb Z)[t]\) be a monic polynomial whose image in \(\mathbb Z/p\mathbb Z[t]\) modulo \(p\) is square-free. The authors consider matrices \(X\in\mathrm{M}_n(A)\) satisfying the equation \(P(X)=0\). This problem is connected with the classification of similarity classes of matrices in \(\mathrm{M}_n(A)\). The first goal is establishing the number of solutions of the given equation. It is found that this number is equal to \[ p^{kn^2}\prod_{i=1}^n(1-p^{-i}) \sum_{\begin{smallmatrix}(n_1,\ldots,n_l)\in(\mathbb Z_{\geqslant 0})^l\\ n_1\deg(P_1)+\cdots+n_l\deg(P_l)=n\\ \end{smallmatrix}}\prod_{j=1}^l\frac 1{p^{k\deg(P_j)n_j^2}\prod_{i=1}^{n_j}(1-p^{-i\deg(P_j)})} \] with \(P(t)=P_1(t)\cdots P_l(t)\). The above result is used to investigate the probability distributions associated with a uniform random matrix in \(\mathrm{M}_n(A)\). Moreover, if \(k\) is such that \(p^{k-1}G=0\), the probability (with the Haar probability measure) that \(\mathrm{cok}(P(X))\simeq G\) (\(X\in\mathrm{M}_n(\mathbb Z_p)\)) is equal to \[ \frac{p^{\deg(P)[\dim_{\mathbb F_q}(G/pG)]^2-n^2}}{|\mathrm{Aut}_R(G)|\prod_{i=1}^{\dim_{\mathbb F_q}(p^{k-1}G)}(1-p^{-i\deg(P)})} \prod_{i=1}^{\dim_{\mathbb F_q}(G/pG)}(1-p^{-i\deg(P)})^2. \]