Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2005 / iii / Paper 31 / 3

We give the detailed norm-index argument for a cyclic extension $L/K$ of p-adic fields; thus $K$ is a finite extension of ${\mathbb{Q}}_p$. Write $G=⟨\sigma ⟩$, $|G|=n$. For an additive $G$-module $M$, put $D=\sigma -1$ and $N=1+\sigma +\cdots +{\sigma }^{n-1}$. The two periodic Tate cohomology of a cyclic group groups and the Herbrand quotient arewhen these groups are finite. For multiplicative modules, $N$ is the product of conjugates and $D(z)=\sigma (z)/z$.

The periodic complex alternating $D$ and $N$ gives a six-term exact sequence for every short exact sequence of modules. Taking the alternating product of the finite group orders in that exact sequence provesFor a finite module, the counting fibers gives $|NM|=|M|/|\ker N|$ and $|DM|=|M|/|\ker D|$, so the two Tate groups have equal order. This proves the Herbrand quotient of a finite module is one. It follows that replacing a module by a finite-index submodule does not change its quotient, whenever the cohomology groups are finite.

Two basic calculations drive the norm computation. For the trivial module $\mathbb{Z}$, $D=0$ and $N$ is multiplication by $n$, so $h_G(\mathbb{Z})=n$. For a regular lattice $R[G]$, with $R={\mathbb{Z}}_p$, invariants are constant coefficient vectors and every such vector is a norm: put its constant coefficient in just one coordinate before applying $N$. The group kernel of $N$ consists of the coefficient vectors of sum zero. Successively taking partial sums solves the cyclic difference equation $Dx=y$ for every such vector $y$. Thus both Tate groups vanish and $h_G(R[G])=1$. This is cyclic cohomology of a regular lattice.

Let $U_L={\mathcal{O}}_L^{\times }$ and $U_L^r=1+{\mathfrak{P}}_L^r$. For sufficiently large $r$, the p-adic logarithm and p-adic exponential are inverse $G$-equivariant isomorphismsTo make the range explicit, $r>v_L(p)/(p-1)$ suffices: the higher terms in the logarithm and exponential have greater valuation than their leading terms, their series converge there, and the identities $\log (\exp x)=x$ and $\exp (\log (1+x))=1+x$ remain valid. Thus a deep multiplicative unit group becomes an additive ${\mathbb{Z}}_p$-lattice in $L$.

By the normal basis theorem, $L\cong K[G]$ as a $K[G]$-module. As a ${\mathbb{Q}}_p[G]$-module it is therefore ${\mathbb{Q}}_p[G{]}^{[K:{\mathbb{Q}}_p]}$. Transport the regular lattice $M_0={\mathbb{Z}}_p[G{]}^{[K:{\mathbb{Q}}_p]}$ into $L$. Both $M_0$ and ${\mathfrak{P}}_L^r$ are full $G$-stable ${\mathbb{Z}}_p$-lattices, so their intersection has finite index in each. The exact sequences with finite quotients show that the Tate groups of ${\mathfrak{P}}_L^r$ are finite and thatSince $U_L/U_L^r$ is finite, the exact-sequence formula for the Herbrand quotient gives $h_G(U_L)=1$. Finally, the valuation sequencehas trivial $G$-action on $\mathbb{Z}$. Hence the Herbrand quotient of the local multiplicative group is

For completeness, the denominator vanishes by Hilbert theorem 90. If $N_{L/K}a=1$, put $c_0=1$ and $c_j=a\sigma (a)\cdots {\sigma }^{j-1}(a)$. Independence of distinct field automorphisms lets us choose $t\in L$ with $b={\sum }_{j=0}^{n-1}{c}_j{\sigma }^j(t)\ne 0$. Since $c_n=1$, shifting the sum gives $\sigma (b)=b/a$. Thus $a=b/\sigma (b)$, a multiplicative coboundary. Therefore ${\hat{H}}^{-1}(G,L^{\times })=1$. The invariant subgroup of $L^{\times }$ is $K^{\times }$, soThis proves the cyclic local norm index without assuming local reciprocity. If the extension has ramification index $e$ and residue degree $f$, the valuation formula $v_K(Nz)=f{v}_L(z)$ shows that the valuation contribution to the index is $f$. A norm is a unit only when $z$ is a unit, so the remaining contribution isIn particular, unit norms are surjective in an unramified cyclic extension. The norm subgroup is open: on deep units its logarithm is ${\mathrm{Tr}}_{L/K}({\mathfrak{P}}_L^r)$, a nonzero full lattice in $K$, and therefore contains a sufficiently deep principal-unit group. This connects the index calculation to the open finite-index norm subgroups classified by local class field theory.

To finish, the Hasse norm theorem for a cyclic extension of number fields states that a nonzero element is a global norm if and only if it is a norm at every finite and infinite completion. Here is its Brauer-theoretic proof outline. Associate to $a\in K^{\times }$ the cyclic algebra $A=(L/K,\sigma ,a)$, with relations $z\ell =\sigma (\ell )z$ and $z^n=a$. The splitting criterion for a cyclic algebra says that it splits exactly when $a=Nc$: if $a=Nc$, multiplication by $L$ and the operator $c\sigma$ realize it as ${\mathrm{End}}_K(L)$; conversely, in a split matrix representation, the underlying $n$-dimensional space is one-dimensional over $L$, so $z$ must act as $c\sigma$ and $z^n=Nc$.

Apply this criterion at every completion, using the restricted cyclic character and any one completion of $L$ above that place. If $a$ is a local norm everywhere, every localized Brauer class is zero. Injectivity in the Albert-Brauer-Hasse-Noether theorem forces $[A]=0$ in $\mathrm{Br}(K)$; the global splitting criterion gives $a=Nc$. Conversely, a global norm is a local norm after completion, since the norm on $L{\otimes }_K{K}_v$ is the product of the component norms, whose images coincide in the Galois case. The cyclic hypothesis is essential; the stated local-global principle does not hold for arbitrary extensions.