The flat deformation functor
Part of the proof of Wiles' theorem on the Shimura-Taniyama-Weil conjecture (Fermat's Last Theorem) relies on properties of the local Galois representation \[ \rho_{E,p}| D_p:D_p=\text{Gal}(\overline{\mathbb Q}_p/{\mathbb Q}_p)\rightarrow\text{Aut}(T_p(E(\overline{\mathbb Q}_p))\simeq\text{GL}_2({\mathbb Z}_p) \] for a semistable elliptic curve \(E_{/{\mathbb Q}}\) and a prime \(p\). Reduction properties of \(E\) at \(p\) play a central role in Wiles' proof. As a first result it turns out that in case the reduction of \(E\) at \(p\) is either ordinary or multiplicative, the representation \(\rho_{E,p}\) and its reduction \(\overline{\rho}_{E,p}\) are relatively simple to handle. In case of good supersingular reduction the situation becomes completely different. In particular, one has a 2-dimensional \({\mathbb F}_p\)-representation \[ \overline{\rho}_{E,p}| I_p:I_p\rightarrow\text{Aut}(E[p](\overline{\mathbb Q}_p))\simeq\text{Gl}_2({\mathbb F}_p) \] which is isomorphic to the so-called fundamental character of level 2. Moreover, \(\overline{\rho}_{E,p}\) is absolutely irreducible, and \({\mathbb Q}_p\otimes_{{\mathbb Z}_p}\rho_{E,p}\) is irreducible. Here the flat deformation functor comes into play. That finite flat group schemes may be of importance follows from the fact that, when \(E_{/{\mathbb Q}_p}\) has good reduction, then for all \(m\neq 0\), the \({\mathbb Q}_p\)-group scheme \(E[m]\) which is canonically attached to the \(D_p\)-representation \(E[m](\overline{\mathbb Q}_p)\), is the generic fiber of a finite \textit{flat} group scheme over \({\mathbb Z}_p\). To prove the modularity of the curve \(E_{/{\mathbb Q}}\), Wiles uses an `extremely delicate balancing act' to handle, on one side (abstract) deformation rings, and on the other side, (concrete) Hecke rings. The main point becomes an estimate of the orders of certain global Galois cohomology groups of the form \(H^1_{\mathcal D}(G_{\Sigma},\text{ad}(\rho))\), where \(\Sigma\) is a finite set of places of \({\mathbb Q}\) such that, if \({\mathbb Q}_{\Sigma}\subseteq\overline{\mathbb Q}\) is the maximal subextension unramified outside of \(\Sigma\), \(G_{\Sigma}=\text{Gal}({\mathbb Q}_{\Sigma}/{\mathbb Q})\), \(\rho:G_{\Sigma}\rightarrow\text{GL}_2(A)\) is a continuous representation, where \(A\) is a local Artin ring with residue field \(k\) of characteristic \(p\). Finally, \(\mathcal D\) is a suitable \(G_{\Sigma}\)-deformation problem for \(\overline{\rho}=\rho\bmod {\mathfrak m}_A\), think of \(\overline{\rho}=\overline{\rho}_{E,p}\). The flat deformation functor \(\mathcal D_{\overline{\rho}}^{\text{fl}}\) is defined as follows. Let \(\mathcal O\) be the valuation ring of a finite extension of \(\mathbb Q_p\), with uniformizer \(\lambda\), such that the finite residue field \(k=\mathcal O/\lambda\) has characteristic \(p\). Let \(\overline{\rho}:D_p\rightarrow\text{GL}_2(k)\) be a continuous flat representation. By work of Mazur one has the universal deformation functor \(\mathcal D_{\overline{\rho}}^{\text{univ}}\) attached to \(\overline{\rho}\), on the category \(\widehat{\mathcal C}_{\mathcal O}\) of complete local noetherian \({\mathcal O}\)-algebras with residue field \(k\). For \(A\) in \(\widehat{\mathcal C}_{\mathcal O}\), let \(\mathcal D_{\overline{\rho}}^{\text{fl}}(A)\) be the subset of \(\mathcal D_{\overline{\rho}}^{\text{univ}}(A)\) consisting of those deformations of \(\overline{\rho}\) to \(\text{GL}_2(A)\) whose representative liftings \(\rho:D_p\rightarrow\text{GL}_2(A)\) have the property that, for all \(n\geq 1\), the \textit{finite} \(D_p\)-module \(\rho\bmod\mathfrak m_A^n\) is flat. E.g. for \(E_{/{\mathbb Q}_p}\) having good reduction, \(\rho_{E,p}\) represents an element in \(\mathcal D_{\overline{\rho}}^{\text{fl}}({\mathbb Z}_p)\); one has \(\rho_{E,p}\bmod \mathfrak m_A^n=E[p^n](\overline{\mathbb Q}_p)\). By a result of R.~Ramakrishna, \(\mathcal D_{\overline{\rho}}^{\text{fl}}\) is a subfunctor of \(\mathcal D_{\overline{\rho}}^{\text{univ}}\). Both functors are representable by objects \(R_{\overline{\rho}}^{\text{fl}}\) and \(R_{\overline{\rho}}^{\text{univ}}\) in \(\widehat{\mathcal C}_{\mathcal O}\), respectively. Then the natural map \(R_{\overline{\rho}}^{\text{univ}}\rightarrow R_{\overline{\rho}}^{\text{fl}}\) is surjective. The above mentioned cohomology \(H^1_{\mathcal D}\) is \(H^1_{\text{fl}}(D_p,\text{ad}(\rho))\subseteq H^1(D_p,\text{ad}(\rho))\), where as a matter of fact, one has \(H^1_{\text{fl}}(D_p,\text{ad}(\rho))\simeq\mathcal D_{\overline{\rho}}^{\text{fl}} (A[\varepsilon])\). Writing \(\text{ad}^0(\rho)\subset\text{ad}(\rho)\) for the \(A\)-submodule of elements with trace 0, one has a canonical isomorphism of \(A[D_p]\)-modules \(\text{ad}^0(\rho)\oplus A\simeq\text{ad}(\rho)\). One defines \(H^1_{\text{fl}}(D_p,\text{ad}^0(\rho)):=H^1(D_p,\text{ad}^0(\rho))\cap H^1_{\text{fl}}(D_p,\text{ad}(\rho))\). The main result that Wiles needs can be stated as follows: Let \(\overline{\rho}:D_p\rightarrow\text{GL}_2(k)\) be flat with \(\det\overline{\rho}| I_p=\omega| I_p\) (the reduction of the \(p\)-adic cyclotomic character) and \(p\neq 2\). Let \(\rho:D_p\rightarrow\text{GL}_2(\mathcal O/\lambda^n)\) be a flat lifting of \(\overline{\rho}\). Then \[ | H^1_{\text{fl}}(D_p,\text{ad}^0(\rho))| =| H^0(D_p,\text{ad}^0(\rho))| \cdot| \mathcal O/\lambda^n| . \] This result can be shown to follow from a theorem due to Ramakrishna, in terms of the representing ring \(R_{\overline{\rho}}^{\text{fl}}\): \(R_{\overline{\rho}}^{\text{fl}}\simeq\mathcal OT_1,T_2\). To prove this last isomorphism one applies Fontaine's theory of finite flat group schemes. This is explained in detail. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0878.11004].
- Ramification in the division fields of an elliptic curve
- The deformation theorem for flat chains
- Ramified deformation problems
- A refined lifting theorem for supersingular Galois representations
- The rank of Mazur's Eisenstein ideal
- Computation of framed deformation functors
- scientific article; zbMATH DE number 433068 (Why is no real title available?)
- An introduction to the deformation theory of Galois representations
- scientific article; zbMATH DE number 825076 (Why is no real title available?)
- Level raising mod 2 and arbitrary 2-Selmer ranks
- Extensions of abelian varieties defined over a number field
- Modularity of abelian varieties over Q with bad reduction in one prime only
- Torsion points of abelian varieties with values in infinite extensions over a \(p\)-adic field
- Moduli of finite flat group schemes, and modularity
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