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The Leopoldt conjecture holds for every finite abelian extension of $\mathbb{Q}$. The proof uses linear independence of $p$-adic logarithms of algebraic numbers. In cyclotomic towers it supplies the ranks of the global-unit terms in the class-field unit sequence; it is not needed for the unramified Iwasawa torsion theorem in arbitrary towers.

Let $F_n$ be the degree-$p^n$ layer, ${\Gamma }_n={\Gamma }^{p^n}$, andConjugation makes $Y$ a compact $\Lambda$-module. The goal is to show that it is finitely generated and has Iwasawa-module rank zero. This proof applies to every Zp-extension, not only a cyclotomic one, and makes no Leopoldt conjecture assumption.

By the ramification argument above, only primes over $p$ ramify in $F_{\infty }/F$, and at least one does. Every nonzero closed inertia group in $\Gamma \cong {\mathbb{Z}}_p$ is open. After replacing $F$ by a finite layer, every prime which ramifies is totally ramified in the remaining tower. The number $s\ge 1$ of such primes then stays constant. This replacement does not affect whether $Y$ is a torsion module: ${\mathbb{Z}}_p[[\Gamma ]]$ is finite free over the Iwasawa algebra of an open subgroup, and the two module ranks vanish together.

Let ${\mathcal{G}}_n=\mathrm{Gal}(L_{\infty }/F_n)$, and let $D_n$ be its maximal abelian quotient. The abelianization over a Zp-extension formula gives an exact sequenceChoose a lift of a generator of ${\Gamma }_n$ if a splitting is desired. We will bound the ${\mathbb{Z}}_p$-rank of the middle term independently of $n$.

At each of the $s$ ramified primes, inertia in $L_{\infty }/F_n$ maps isomorphically onto ${\Gamma }_n$: its kernel is inertia in the unramified extension $L_{\infty }/F_{\infty }$, hence trivial, and the map onto the totally ramified base inertia is surjective. Thus each image in $D_n$ is procyclic and has ${\mathbb{Z}}_p$-rank at most one. No other finite prime contributes inertia. Quotienting $D_n$ by the closed subgroup generated by these $s$ images gives an abelian extension of $F_n$ unramified at all finite primes. Its Galois group is finite by class field theory, using the ordinary or narrow ideal class group according to the treatment of real places. Any infinite-place inertia is finite and does not affect the rank bound. Therefore $D_n$ is finitely generated over ${\mathbb{Z}}_p$ andThe preceding exact sequence now yields the uniform boundIt does not assert that these coinvariant modules are always finite when several primes ramify.

At $n=0$, $Y/TY$ is finitely generated over ${\mathbb{Z}}_p$, so $Y/(p,T)Y$ is finite. Lift a finite basis of this quotient to $Y$. The Compact Nakayama lemma shows that these lifts generate $Y$ over $\Lambda$. Briefly, the quotient by their compact generated image satisfies $Q=(p,T)Q$. Every finite continuous $\Lambda$-quotient of $Q$ has nilpotent action by $(p,T)$: $p$ is nilpotent, and modulo $p$ a finite pro-$p$ action makes $\gamma -1$ nilpotent. Such a quotient must be zero. Finite quotients separate points of a compact pro-p group, so $Q=0$.

Suppose now that $Y$ had positive $\Lambda$-rank $r$. The Iwasawa module structure theorem provides a pseudo-isomorphism towith $E$ a finitely generated torsion module. Passing to ${\Gamma }_n$-coinvariant modules leaves a finite cokernel. Butis free of rank $p^n$ over ${\mathbb{Z}}_p$. Thus the coinvariant modules would have rank at least $r{p}^n$, contradicting the uniform bound $s-1$. Equivalently their ranks have asymptotic form $r{p}^n+O(1)$, with the torsion elementary divisors contributing only a bounded rank.

It follows that $r=0$. Since $\Lambda$ is an integral domain, rank zero means every element is killed by a nonzero scalar. ThereforeThis is the unramified Iwasawa torsion theorem. The crucial arithmetic inputs are finite class fields and the bounded number of ramified primes; neither vanishing of a $\mu$-invariant nor a cyclotomic main conjecture is required.

The unramified Iwasawa module is finitely generated torsion over the Iwasawa algebra of a Zp-extension, for every Zp-extension of a number field. After a finite shift all ramified primes are totally ramified and their number $s$ is constant. Class field theory bounds finite-layer coinvariant modules by ${\mathrm{rank}}_{{\mathbb{Z}}_p}{Y}_{{\Gamma }_n}\le s-1$. The Compact Nakayama lemma proves finite generation, and a positive Iwasawa-module rank would force ranks at least $r{p}^n$, a contradiction. No Leopoldt conjecture is required.