Kummer's theory for function fields (Q804620)

Let \(A={\mathbb{F}}_ r[T]\), \(r=p^ n\) and \(k={\mathbb{F}}_ r(T)\). Let C be the Carlitz module for A; this is a rank one Drinfeld module that plays the role of \({\mathbb{G}}_ m\). Let \(\wp \in Spec(A)\). Then one can associate to the \(\wp\)-divison points of C the finite abelian extension, k(\(\wp)\), of k with Galois group \(A/\wp^*\). This analog of \({\mathbb{Q}}(\zeta_{\ell})\), \(\ell \in Spec({\mathbb{Z}})\), has been the object of extensive research in the past years with two p-class groups of interest: the class group of the field itself and the class group of its ring of A-integers. Moreover, in the study of k(\(\wp)\) two Bernoulli- analogs appear. In this important paper, the author introduces an analog of the classical Kummer homomorphism and thus establishes the relationship between one Bernoulli-analog (``Bernoulli-Carlitz numbers'') and integral p-class groups. A preprint of this paper has had a large influence on the subject for a number of years. Thus there is a conjectural analog of Ribet's theorem [\textit{E.-U. Gekeler}, J. Number Theory 34, 114-127 (1990; Zbl 0695.12008)], and the mysterious connection with ``magic numbers'' \(=\) certain non-negative integers appearing in the analog of the Kummer- Vandiver conjecture for A [see the reviewer, Duke Math. J. 56, No.1, 163- 191 (1988; Zbl 0661.12006)]. Quite recently, the author's results have begun to be generalized to the case of arbitrary A (i.e., the affine ring of a curve minus a closed point) by L. Shu.