On refined metric and Hermitian structures in arithmetic. I: Galois-Gauss sums and weak ramification (Q2307859)

The authors develop refinements of metrized and hermitian Galois module theory by means of relative \(K\)-theory. In particular, they study the Galois structure of the square root of the inverse different in weakly and wildly ramified Galois extensions of odd degree. Let \(G\) be a finite group. A hermitian \(G\)-module is a finitely generated projective \(G\)-module together with a non-degenerate \(G\)-invariant pairing. The prototypical example is the ring of integers in a tame Galois extension \(L\) of a number field \(K\) with Galois group \(\mathrm{Gal}(L/K) \simeq G\), together with the natural trace pairing. \textit{A. Fröhlich} [Classgroups and Hermitian modules. Birkhäuser/Springer, Basel (1984; Zbl 0539.12005)] showed that a Hermitian \(G\)-module is classified by a certain invariant, usually called the `discriminant' of the module, that lies in the `Hermitian class group' \(\mathrm{HCl}(G)\) and is defined in terms of idelic-valued functions on the ring of virtual characters of \(G\). Likewise, \textit{T. Chinburg} et al. [Ann. Sci. Éc. Norm. Supér. (4) 35, No. 3, 307--352 (2002; Zbl 1039.11078)] introduced the notion of a metrized \(G\)-module, which is a pair comprising a finitely generated projective \(G\)-module and a collection of suitable metrics on the isotypic components of the complexified module. They showed that each such module gives rise to an invariant in an `arithmetic class group' \(A(G)\), which is again defined in terms of idelic-valued functions. The main aim of this article is to describe a common refinement of both theories in terms of relative \(K\)-theory. More precisely, the group \(K_0(\mathbb Z[G], \overline{\mathbb Q}[G])\) has also a description in terms of idelic-valued functions due to the second author and \textit{A. Agboola} [Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. (3) 92, No. 1, 1--28 (2006; Zbl 1198.11086)]. The authors define natural homomorphisms \[ K_0(\mathbb Z[G], \overline{\mathbb Q}[G]) \rightarrow A(G) \] and \[ K_0(\mathbb Z[G], \overline{\mathbb Q}[G]) \rightarrow \mathrm{eHCl}(G), \] where \(\mathrm{eHCl}(G)\) is an `extended hermitian class group', which contains \(\mathrm{HCl}(G)\) as a subgroup. The strategy in arithmetic settings is then to specify a canonical element in \(K_0(\mathbb Z[G], \overline{\mathbb Q}[G])\) whose image under these maps is equal to (or at least closely related to) the invariants that have been considered previously. The main focus is on weakly ramified Galois extensions \(L/K\) of number fields with Galois group \(G\) of odd degree. In this case the inverse different of \(L/K\) has a unique square root \(\mathcal{A}_{L/K}\). The authors define a canonical element \({\mathfrak a}_{L/K}\) in \(K_0(\mathbb Z[G], \mathbb Q[G])\) that controls both the hermitian and metrized structures associated to \(\mathcal{A}_{L/K}\). It is shown that \({\mathfrak a}_{L/K}\) decomposes into a sum of elements constructed from local fields by means of the isomorphism \[ K_0(\mathbb Z[G], \mathbb Q[G]) \simeq \bigoplus_p K_0(\mathbb Z_p[G], \mathbb Q_p[G]). \] It is conjectured that these local elements are determined by local `Galois-Jacobi sums' and the fundamental classes of local class field theory. This local conjecture turns out to be equivalent to the local epsilon constant conjecture of \textit{M. Breuning} [J. Lond. Math. Soc., II. Ser. 70, No. 2, 289--306 (2004; Zbl 1068.11075)]. Finally, the authors address a conjecture of \textit{S. Vinatier} [J. Théor. Nombres Bordx. 15, No. 1, 3934--10 (2003; Zbl 1048.11088)] which asserts that \(\mathcal{A}_{L/K}\) is a free \(G\)-module if \(K = \mathbb Q\). Using the above approach, it is shown that Vinatier's conjecture decomposes into local conjectures. This allows the authors to numerically verify the conjecture for new infinite families of nonabelian wildly ramified extensions.