Swan modules and elliptic functions (Q920147)

For every number field M let \({\mathcal O}_ M\) be its ring of algebraic integers. Now let \(K\) be an imaginary quadratic number field with discriminant \(d<-4\) in which the prime 2 splits. Let \({\mathfrak P}=\lambda {\mathcal O}_ K\) be a non-ramified principal prime ideal of \({\mathcal O}_ K\), where \(\lambda \equiv \pm 1 \bmod 4{\mathcal O}_ K\). If \(r,m\in {\mathbb{N}}\), \(r>m\) let \(N\) (resp. \(L\)) denote the ray class field modulo \(4{\mathfrak P}^{r+m}\) (resp. \(4{\mathfrak P}^ r)\) over \(K\), \(\Gamma =\text{Gal}(N/L)\) and \({\mathcal A}=\{x\in L\Gamma /{\mathcal O}_ Nx\subseteq {\mathcal O}_ N\}\) the associated order of \(N/L\) in \(L\Gamma\). Let \({\mathfrak P}\cap {\mathbb{Z}}=(p)\), \(p\) prime, \(p\neq 2\). For \(s\in {\mathbb{Z}}\), \(p\nmid s\) one defines the elliptic Swan module to be the locally free \({\mathcal A}\)-ideal \[ I_ s=s{\mathcal A}+{\bar \lambda}^ m\Sigma {\mathcal A}, \] where \(\Sigma =\sum_{\gamma \in \Gamma}\gamma. \) \textit{M. Taylor} showed [Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. (3) 51, 415--431 (1985; Zbl 0594.12009) and Ann. Math. (2) 121, 519--535 (1985; Zbl 0594.12008)] that \({\mathcal O}_ N\) is \({\mathcal A}\)-free if and only if the elliptic Swan module \(I_ 2\) is a principal \({\mathcal A}\)-ideal and, in case that \(p\) splits in \(K/{\mathbb{Q}}\), that \({\mathcal O}_ N\) is a free \({\mathcal A}\)-module of rank one. The main result of this paper is that in the case when \(p\) is inert in \(K/{\mathbb{Q}}\) and \(p\equiv \pm 1 \bmod 8\), \(I_ 2\) is again a principal ideal of \({\mathcal A}\). The case \(p\) is inert in \(K/{\mathbb{Q}}\) and \(p\equiv \pm 3 \bmod 8\), is an open question. For more information about this fascinating branch of number theory the interested reader should consult the book of \textit{Ph. Cassou-Noguès} and \textit{M. J. Taylor} [Elliptic Functions and Rings of Integers. Birkhäuser (1987; Zbl 0608.12013)].