Iwasawa algebra of a Zp-extension ($\Lambda ={\mathbb{Z}}_p[[\Gamma ]]\cong {\mathbb{Z}}_p[[T]]$)

Choose a topological generator $\gamma$ of the Galois group of a Zp-extension and set $T=\gamma -1$. The completed group algebra becomes the formal power series ring ${\mathbb{Z}}_p[[T]]$, a two-dimensional complete regular local integral domain with maximal ideal $(p,T)$. Its finite-layer quotient is $\Lambda /((1+T{)}^{p^n}-1)\cong {\mathbb{Z}}_p[\Gamma /{\Gamma }^{p^n}]$.

A homomorphism between finitely generated one-variable Iwasawa modules is a pseudo-isomorphism if its kernel and cokernel are finite. Finite errors do not change the Iwasawa-module rank or the characteristic ideal of a torsion module. They can still change its integral structure, so a pseudo-isomorphism is weaker than an isomorphism.

For a finitely generated module over the integral domain $\Lambda$, its Iwasawa-module rank counts free summands up to pseudo-isomorphism. Rank zero is equivalent to being a torsion module. A positive rank $r$ forces the ${\mathbb{Z}}_p$-ranks of finite-layer coinvariant modules to grow like $r{p}^n+O(1)$.