The orbit method for profinite groups and a \(p\)-adic analogue of Brown's theorem. (Q940761)

The authors develop an ``abstract orbit method'' -- an approach to the character theory of certain classes of finite and profinite groups based on a Lie algebra associated with such a group. In fact, the requisite properties are postulated even without a Lie bracket (although the authors note that in all known examples it is a Lie algebra that gives rise to the situation considered). In the proof, instead of using the notion of polarization, which is central in the classical orbit method, the authors' method is based on Kirillov's character formula. This approach is then used to produce a new proof of the orbit method classification of complex irreducible representations of \(p\)-groups of nilpotency class \(<p\), where \(p\) is a prime, and of continuous complex irreducible representations of uniformly powerful pro-\(p\)-groups (with a certain modification for \(p=2\)). For these groups, the Lie algebra arises by the Lazard correspondence given by the Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff formula. Earlier these results (with a stronger assertion for \(p=2\)) were obtained by \textit{A. Jaikin-Zapirain} [J. Am. Math. Soc. 19, No. 1, 91-118 (2006; Zbl 1092.20023)] based on the classical polarization technique. As a main application, the authors give a proof of the \(p\)-adic analogue of \textit{I. D. Brown}'s theorem [Ann. Sci. Éc. Norm. Supér. (4) 6, 407-411 (1973; Zbl 0284.57026)] stating that for a nilpotent Lie group over \(\mathbb{Q}_p\) the Fell topology on the set of isomorphism classes of its irreducible representations coincides with the quotient topology on the set of its coadjoint orbits.