Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2007 / iii / Paper 5 (Pro-p Groups)

A topological group is a group with a topology for which multiplication $G\times G\to G$ and inversion $G\to G$ are continuous. A profinite group has either of the following equivalent descriptions: a compact Hausdorff totally disconnected topological group, or an inverse limit of finite discrete groups. Totally disconnected means that every connected component is a singleton.

For clarity, an inverse system over a directed set $I$ consists of groups $G_i$ and maps ${\varphi }_{ij}:G_j\to G_i$ for $i\le j$, with ${\varphi }_{ii}=1$ and ${\varphi }_{ik}={\varphi }_{ij}{\varphi }_{jk}$. Its inverse limit iswith coordinatewise multiplication and the subspace topology. Equivalently, it is a group with compatible continuous projections such that every other compatible family of maps into the $G_i$ factors uniquely through it.

The displayed limit is a closed subgroup of the compact Hausdorff product of the finite groups, and is totally disconnected, since two different tuples are separated by a clopen coordinate condition. Conversely a compact Hausdorff totally disconnected group has a neighbourhood basis of open normal subgroups. One way to see the group part of this standard clopen-basis fact is to choose a clopen identity neighbourhood $U$ inside a prescribed neighbourhood. Compactness of $U$ and continuity give a symmetric identity neighbourhood $V$ with $VU\subseteq U$. The stabilizer $H=\{g:gU=U\}$ contains $V$, is open, and is contained in $U$ because $1\in U$. Its index is finite by part (ii); its normal core is the intersection of finitely many conjugates and is open and normal. The canonical mapis injective because these $N$ separate points, and surjective because compatible cosets have the finite intersection property and $G$ is compact. It is a homeomorphism by compactness and the Hausdorff property. This explains the equivalence of the two definitions.

The profinite Frattini subgroup is $\Phi (G)=\bigcap M$, where $M$ ranges over all maximal proper open subgroups; for the trivial group the empty intersection is $G$. For a pro-p group,Here powers and group commutators mean generated subgroups and the bar supplies closure. Every maximal open subgroup in a pro-p group is normal of index $p$, as follows by passing to the finite p-group quotient by its normal core. Such a subgroup therefore contains all powers and group commutators. Conversely the quotient by $D=\overline{G^p[G,G]}$ is an abelian pro-p group of exponent $p$. If an element of this quotient is nontrivial, some finite elementary abelian quotient detects it; a linear functional to ${\mathbb{F}}_p$ then detects it as well. Its group homomorphism kernel pulls back to a maximal open subgroup of $G$. Thus the intersection of these kernels is exactly $D$.

We also use the topological generation criterion: a subset generates $G$ topologically if and only if its image generates $G/\Phi (G)$ topologically. To prove the nontrivial direction, a proper closed generated subgroup $K$ lies in a proper open subgroup $KN$ for a suitably small open normal $N$, and hence in a maximal open subgroup obtained from the finite quotient $G/N$. Since that maximal subgroup contains $\Phi (G)$, the image of $K$ cannot generate the Frattini quotient.

Now suppose $G$ is a nontrivial procyclic pro-p group. If it had distinct maximal open subgroups $M_1,M_2$, the homomorphism to $C_p\times C_p$ induced by the two quotient maps would be onto: its projections are onto, and a proper such subgroup would be a one-dimensional graph, forcing the two kernels to coincide. Hence $G/(M_1\cap M_2)\cong C_p^2$, contradicting procyclicity. Thus there is exactly one maximal open subgroup $M$, and $\Phi (G)=M$. Any $g\notin M$ generates $G/\Phi (G)\cong C_p$, so the criterion givesFor the trivial group use its identity as generator. The additive group ${\mathbb{Z}}_p$ is an infinite example, topologically generated by $1$: its finite continuous quotients are cyclic $\mathbb{Z}/p^n\mathbb{Z}$.

If $H$ is an open subgroup, each left coset $gH$ is open because left translation is a homeomorphism in a topological group. Its complement is the union of all the other cosets,This is open, so $H$ is closed. No compactness or separation assumption is required.

The left cosets of an open subgroup $H$ form an open cover of the compact group. A finite subfamily therefore covers the group. Distinct cosets are disjoint, so every coset must occur in this finite subfamily. Hence $[G:H]<\infty$.

Suppose $(L,({\pi }_i))$ and $(L^{\prime },({\pi }_i^{\prime }))$ are inverse limits of the same system, in the universal-property sense. The compatible family $({\pi }_i^{\prime })$ induces a unique continuous homomorphism $u:L^{\prime }\to L$ with ${\pi }_{i}u={\pi }_i^{\prime }$; similarly there is a unique $v:L\to L^{\prime }$ with ${\pi }_i^{\prime }v={\pi }_i$. Then $uv$ and $1_L$ both induce the projections $({\pi }_i)$, so uniqueness gives $uv=1_L$. Likewise $vu=1_{L^{\prime }}$. Thus the limits are uniquely isomorphic by an isomorphism preserving every projection. In particular the inverse maps are continuous, so this is an isomorphism of topological groups, not just abstract groups.

For odd $p$, a subgroup $N$ is powerfully embedded in $G$ if $[N,G]\le N^p$, where $N^p=⟨n^p:n\in N⟩$. The condition implies normality since $n^g=n[n,g]\in N$. The group $G$ is a powerful p-group if $[G,G]\le G^p$, equivalently if $G$ itself is powerfully embedded. For a finite p-group, the Burnside basis theorem gives $d(Q)={\dim }_{{\mathbb{F}}_p}Q/\Phi (Q)$, and $\Phi (Q)=Q^p[Q,Q]$. Thus for powerful $Q$, $d(Q)=\dim Q/Q^p$.

We prove $d(H)\le d(G)$ by induction on $|G|$, with the trivial group immediate. The supplied embedding result applied to $N=G$ makes $G^p$ powerfully embedded, and hence powerful. It is a proper subgroup when $G\ne 1$, because $G^p=\Phi (G)$ is proper in a nontrivial finite p-group. SetAll the displayed quotients are elementary abelian. The supplied onto homomorphism $\theta :V\to W$, $x{G}^p\mapsto x^p{G}^{p^2}$, is therefore linear. Write $v=\dim V=d(G)$, $w=\dim W=d(G^p)$, $r=\dim A$, and $t=\dim \theta (A)$.

Since $H/K$ embeds in $V$, $\Phi (H)\le K$. AlsoHere $(G^p{)}^p=G^{p^2}$ is the iterated-power convention, valid for powerful groups. Hence the natural map $K/\Phi (K)\to W$ is defined. The image under this map of the subspace $\Phi (H)/\Phi (K)$ contains $\theta (A)$, because for every $h\in H$ its power $h^p$ lies in $\Phi (H)\cap K$. It follows thatThe exact sequence $1\to K/\Phi (H)\to H/\Phi (H)\to H/K\to 1$ consists of elementary abelian groups, and $\dim H/K=r$. By induction inside $G^p$, $d(K)\le d(G^p)=w$. ThereforeThis proves $d(H)\le d(G)$, including subgroups $H$ that are not themselves powerful.

The rank of a profinite group is $\mathrm{rk}(P)=\sup \{d(K):K\le P\text{ closed}\}$, where $d(K)$ is its least topological generator number. If $P$ has finite rank then every closed subgroup, including the open subgroup $H$, has no larger rank. Conversely suppose $H$ has rank $r<\infty$. Its normal core $C={\bigcap }_{g\in P}{H}^g$ is an open normal subgroup: there are finitely many conjugates because $H$ has finite index. It has rank at most $r$.

For every closed $K\le P$, the subgroup $K\cap C$ is normal in $K$ and has at most $r$ topological generators. The quotient $K/(K\cap C)$ embeds in the finite group $P/C$. A finite group of order at most $M=[P:C]$ has at most $\lfloor {\log }_{2}M\rfloor$ generators: in a minimal sequential generating list every strict enlargement at least doubles the subgroup order. Lift such quotient generators and adjoin generators of $K\cap C$. Their closed generated subgroup contains the group homomorphism kernel and maps onto the quotient, so equals $K$. ConsequentlyThus an open subgroup has finite rank exactly when the whole profinite group does.

For a pro-p group, the lower p-series is the descending sequence of closed characteristic subgroupsThe bar means closure of the subgroup generated by the displayed powers and group commutators. Throughout this question $p$ is odd. For a finitely generated powerful pro-p group, group commutator collection gives $P_i(G)=G^{p^{i-1}}$, each $P_i$ is powerful, and $\Phi (P_i)=P_{i+1}$. All these subgroups are open. A uniform pro-p group is such a group with all subgroup indices $[P_i:P_{i+1}]$ equal to $[G:P_2]$. We use the standard powerful-group torsion criterion: a finitely generated powerful pro-p group is uniform exactly when it is a torsion-free group. For a uniform group of generator number $d$, the indices are $p^d$, and $x\mapsto x^{p^a}$ is a homeomorphism from $G$ onto $G^{p^a}$.

We record explicitly the collection facts used for the operations below. With $U_b=G^{p^b}=P_{b+1}$, one hasThe second statement is the power-congruence property: the $p$th-power map is an isomorphism on adjacent uniform layers, and collection gives $(yu{)}^p\equiv y^p{u}^p(\mathrm{mod}{U}_{b+2})$ for $u\in U_b$. Thus the first nonzero layer of a difference moves down exactly one step under a $p$th power. Iterating gives the asserted equivalence and also justifies taking roots of congruences. These facts follow from powerful-group group commutator collection, using divisibility by $p$ of $\left(\genfrac{}{}{0ex}{}{p}{2}\right)$ and the successive-layer power isomorphisms; they are the uniform-group structure results being used here.

The transported addition on a uniform pro-p group isThe product is in $U_n$ and has a unique $p^n$th root in $G$. For the comparison at $n=1$ define $x{+}_{0}y=xy$. The numbered proofs below establish associativity, approximate commutativity and compatibility of these operations.

The intrinsic Lie algebra of a uniform pro-p group has underlying set $G$, zero equal to the group identity, additive inverse $x^{-1}$, and operationsHere the group commutator is $[x,y]=x^{-1}{y}^{-1}xy$. For $\lambda \in {\mathbb{Z}}_p$, $x^{\lambda }$ is the limit of $x^{m_j}$ for integers $m_j\to \lambda$; the pro-$p$ topology makes it well defined. The addition sequence is Cauchy by the compatibility proved below. The group commutator estimate puts $[x^{p^n},y^{p^n}]$ in $U_{2n+1}$, so its displayed root exists and lies in $U_1$. Collection of group commutators shows that successive bracket approximants differ in layers tending to the identity, giving the other limit. The group commutator identities give additivity of the limiting bracket, and the Hall-Witt identity gives its Jacobi identity. Approximate commutativity makes limiting addition commutative. The resulting lattice $L_G$ is a free module over ${\mathbb{Z}}_p$ of rank $d(G)$, and $[L_G,L_G]\le p{L}_G$.

A powerful Lie algebra over p-adic integers, in the convention relevant here, is a Lie algebra $L$ whose underlying module is finite free over ${\mathbb{Z}}_p$ and whose bracket satisfies $[L,L]\le pL$. For $p=2$ the condition is instead $[L,L]\le 4L$. For odd $p$, define multiplication on its underlying set by the convergent Baker--Campbell--Hausdorff formulaAn iterated bracket of degree $m$ lies in $p^{m-1}L$. The BCH coefficient bound loses at most $\lfloor (m-1)/(p-1)\rfloor$ powers of $p$, so all higher-degree terms are integral, and their valuations tend to infinity. This explains both convergence and why multiplying a lattice with small bracket stays inside the lattice. Formal associativity of BCH passes to the convergent series, the identity is $0$, the inverse is $-x$, and every group power satisfies $x^{\ast m}=mx$. The quotients by $p^{a}L$ are finite p-groups. Hence the resulting compact group is a finitely generated torsion-free group and a pro-p group, and its group commutator lies in $pL$. Thus $(L,\ast )$ is a uniform pro-p group, with $P_i(L,\ast )=p^{i-1}L$ and successive index $p^{{\mathrm{rank}}_{{\mathbb{Z}}_p}L}$.

The standard uniform-group/Lie-lattice correspondence identifies these constructions as mutually inverse: $L_{(L,\ast )}\cong L$ and $(L_G,\ast )\cong G$. To see why the inverse limits recover the lattice operations, the addition approximant for a BCH group is $p^{-n}\mathrm{BCH}(p^{n}x,p^{n}y)$: its linear term is $x+y$ and every higher term tends to zero. Similarly its group commutator approximant has limiting term $[x,y]$. In the other direction, a local logarithm in the complete normed group algebra identifies the intrinsic operations with algebra addition and commutator and identifies group multiplication with BCH; the uniform power maps extend the identification from a sufficiently small power subgroup to all of $G$. Continuous group homomorphisms respect powers, unique roots and limits, while Lie algebra homomorphisms respect every BCH term, so the equivalence also preserves morphisms.

For a powerful pro-p group, $\Phi (P_i)=P_{i+1}$. The Burnside basis theorem therefore givesIf $G$ is uniform, all these indices equal $[G:P_2]=p^{d(G)}$. Hence $d(P_i)=d(G)$ for every $i\ge 1$, proving (i)$\Rightarrow$(ii).

Conversely, if all $d(P_i)$ equal $d(G)$, the same Frattini-quotient identity gives $[P_i:P_{i+1}]=p^{d(G)}$ for every $i$. This is exactly the index definition of a uniform pro-p group. Thus (ii)$\Rightarrow$(i), completing the equivalence of the first two conditions.

Suppose first that $G$ is uniform and $H$ is a powerful open subgroup. The torsion criterion stated above makes $G$ a torsion-free group; so $H$ is a torsion-free group too. It is finitely generated, for example by the Schreier lemma, and hence is uniform by the same criterion. Put $d=d(G)$ and $e=d(H)$, and choose $k$ with $P_k(G)\le H$. For every $n\ge 0$,Uniformity of the two groups givesTaking logarithms and dividing by $n$, then letting $n\to \infty$, proves $e=d$. This proves (i)$\Rightarrow$(iii) without assuming that $H$ is a power subgroup. Conversely every $P_i(G)$ is powerful and open, so (iii) applied to these subgroups gives (ii). Therefore all three conditions are equivalent.

The remaining nested parts establish the stated properties of the transported operations ${+}_n$ defined in the root solution.

The map ${\sigma }_n:G\to U_n$, $x\mapsto x^{p^n}$, is a bijection, and the operation ${+}_n$ is exactly multiplication transported through it. Explicitly,Injectivity of ${\sigma }_n$ proves $(x{+}_{n}y){+}_{n}z=x{+}_n(y{+}_{n}z)$. The approximate operation need not be commutative; its associativity is exact.

The uniform group commutator estimate givesThus $x^{p^n}{y}^{p^n}$ and $y^{p^n}{x}^{p^n}$ are congruent modulo $U_{2n+1}$. Taking their unique $p^n$th roots and using the power-congruence property moves the error layer back by $n$, giving

Put $a=x^{p^{n-1}}$ and $b=y^{p^{n-1}}$, both in $U_{n-1}$. The collection formula givesIndeed the weight-two group commutator lies in $[U_{n-1},U_{n-1}]\le U_{2n-1}$, and its coefficient $\left(\genfrac{}{}{0ex}{}{p}{2}\right)$ is divisible by $p$ since $p$ is odd, moving it into $U_{2n}$. A group commutator of weight $j\ge 3$ in $a,b$ lies in $U_{jn-1}\le U_{2n}$; all higher terms are therefore harmless as well. This also covers $n=1$.

Let $v=x{+}_{n-1}y$ and $u=x{+}_{n}y$. Their powers satisfy $v^{p^n}=(ab{)}^p$ and $u^{p^n}=a^p{b}^p$. Taking $p^n$th roots of the collected congruence gives $u\equiv v(\mathrm{mod}{U}_n)$. Since $U_n=P_{n+1}\le P_n$, this proves the requested, slightly weaker, resultFor $n=1$ the definition ${+}_0=$ ordinary multiplication makes the comparison meaningful.

The objective is a continuous faithful representation of a uniform pro-p group $G$ in some ${\mathrm{GL}}_N({\mathbb{Z}}_p)$. The proof proceeds from the intrinsic Lie lattice to a small matrix group, then extends the resulting representation to all of $G$. This last step matters: a representation defined only on an open subgroup does not yet establish linearity of the original group.

Let $L=L_G$ be the Lie algebra of a uniform pro-p group and put $\mathfrak{g}={\mathbb{Q}}_p{\otimes }_{{\mathbb{Z}}_p}L$. The uniform-group/Lie-lattice correspondence identifies the group law on $L$ with BCH. The substantial finite-dimensional Lie-theoretic input is the Ado theorem: every finite-dimensional Lie algebra over a characteristic-zero field admits a faithful finite-dimensional representation. Apply it to obtainAn Adjoint representation would not suffice here, since it kills the centre; Ado supplies injectivity even in central directions.

Choose a p-adic lattice $\Lambda$ spanning $V$. Since $L$ has finitely many lattice generators, their representing matrices have bounded denominators. There is therefore an integer $a\ge 0$ such thatOn this matrix lattice the series $\exp X={\sum }_{n\ge 0}{X}^n/n!$ and $\log (1+Y)={\sum }_{n\ge 1}(-1{)}^{n+1}{Y}^n/n$ converge and are inverse. For example $v_p(n!)\le n/(p-1)$, so the valuations of the exponential terms tend to infinity with this choice of $ϵ$; the logarithm terms do as well. They take values in $1+p^{ϵ}\mathrm{End}(\Lambda )$ and in $p^{ϵ}\mathrm{End}(\Lambda )$ respectively. The formal identity $\exp (\mathrm{BCH}(X,Y))=\exp X\exp Y$ holds for the convergent series.

Under the correspondence, $U=G^{p^a}$ has Lie lattice $p^{a}L$ and is an open characteristic subgroup. Definewhere ${\log }_G$ denotes the identification of $U$ with $p^{a}L$. A Lie homomorphism preserves BCH, so the exponential identity proves $\eta (uv)=\eta (u)\eta (v)$. If $\eta (u)=I$, the matrix logarithm gives $\rho ({\log }_{G}u)=0$; faithfulness of $\rho$ gives $u=1$. Thus $\eta$ is a continuous faithful integral representation of $U$.

To extend it, take the moduleValues on a transversal of $U\backslash G$ determine $f$, so $W$ is a free module over ${\mathbb{Z}}_p$ of rank $[G:U]\dim V$. These functions are continuous, since on each open coset they are given by the continuous representation $\eta$. Define $(T_{g}f)(x)=f(xg)$. The equivariance condition is preserved, and $T_g{T}_h=T_{gh}$. In a transversal basis each $T_g$ is a permutation of blocks followed by matrices from $\eta (U)$, so it belongs to $\mathrm{GL}(W)$ and depends continuously on $g$.

Faithfulness can be checked directly. If $g\notin U$, right multiplication moves the coset $U$ to a different coset, so $T_g$ moves a function supported on one block and cannot be the identity. If $g\in U$ and $T_g=1$, evaluation at $1$ gives $f(g)=f(1)$ for every $f$, whereas equivariance gives $f(g)=\eta (g)f(1)$. Since $f(1)$ is arbitrary, $\eta (g)=I$, and hence $g=1$. ThereforeCompactness of $G$ makes this continuous injection a homeomorphism onto its closed image. This proves the linearity of a uniform pro-p group for the full group, including its centre, and explains why taking a sufficiently small power lattice permits matrix integration before finite-index induction restores the whole group.

Write $k={\mathbb{F}}_p$. The Nottingham group $\mathcal{N}$ is the set of formal series $f(t)=t+{\sum }_{i\ge 2}{a}_i{t}^i$ over $k$, with ordinary composition $f\circ g$ as multiplication and the $t$-adic topology. The identity is $t$. A compositional inverse exists uniquely by solving its coefficients successively, since the linear coefficient is $1$.

Equivalently $\mathcal{N}$ is the group of continuous $k$-automorphisms of $k((t))$ whose action on $(t)/(t^2)$ is the identity. Such an automorphism is determined by the image of $t$, which is $t+O(t^2)$. To identify this with ordinary series composition without reversing multiplication, send $f$ to the automorphism $h(t)\mapsto h(f^{-1}(t))$. Its composite with the automorphism for $g$ is the one for $f\circ g$.

The depth filtration isEach ${\mathcal{N}}_m$ is open and normal, and the coefficient of $t^{m+1}$ identifies ${\mathcal{N}}_m/{\mathcal{N}}_{m+1}$ with $(k,+)$. Thus $[\mathcal{N}:{\mathcal{N}}_m]=p^{m-1}$, and $\mathcal{N}$ is the inverse limit of its finite p-group truncations.

Here is a local-field proof that every finite p-group embeds in $\mathcal{N}$. We first establish the realization step rather than assume the Nottingham embedding itself. Put $F=k((t))$ and $\Gamma =\mathrm{Gal}(F^{\mathrm{sep}}/F)$, and let $I⊴\Gamma$ be the inertia subgroup, the group homomorphism kernel of the action on the algebraic closure of the residue field. We use the standard additive normal basis theorem consequence $H^j(\Gamma ,F^{\mathrm{sep}})=0$ for $j>0$. It follows by taking direct limits of the finite-Galois normal-basis modules, whose additive cohomology vanishes. The Artin-Schreier sequencethen givesThe classes $t^{-m}$ for positive $m$ prime to $p$ are linearly independent: a nonzero finite linear combination has a most negative valuation prime to $p$, whereas a negative valuation of $z^p-z$ is divisible by $p$. Thus there are infinitely many independent continuous characters $\Gamma \to C_p$.

Induct on the order of a finite p-group $E$. Choose a central subgroup $C\cong C_p$ and put $Q=E/C$. By induction there is an onto map $\varphi :\Gamma \to Q$ with $\varphi (I)=Q$, corresponding to a totally ramified $Q$-extension. The central extension $1\to C\to E\to Q\to 1$ is specified by a two-cocycle. Its pullback along $\varphi$ is a coboundary because $H^2(\Gamma ,{\mathbb{F}}_p)=0$. Correcting a set-theoretic section by that coboundary gives a continuous homomorphism ${\rho }_0:\Gamma \to E$ lifting $\varphi$.

We must make the lift onto on inertia, not merely onto on the whole Galois group. Let $A=I\cap \ker \varphi$. On $A$, the lift ${\rho }_0$ takes values in $C$. Characters vanishing on $A$ form a finite-dimensional space: $\Gamma /A$ has a finite subgroup $I/A\cong Q$ and procyclic quotient $\Gamma /I\cong \hat{\mathbb{Z}}$, so a character is determined by finitely many values on generators of these two pieces. The infinite-dimensional character space therefore has infinitely many distinct restrictions to $A$. Choose a character $\chi :\Gamma \to C$ whose restriction to $A$ does not cancel ${\rho }_0{|}_A$, and set $\rho (\gamma )=\chi (\gamma ){\rho }_0(\gamma )$. Centrality of $C$ makes this another homomorphism lifting $\varphi$. Its image on $A$ is nontrivial and hence all of $C$, while its image on $I$ maps onto $Q$. Therefore $\rho (I)=E$. The fixed field of $\ker \rho$ is the required totally ramified finite Galois extension $K/F$ with group $E$. This proves the realization step for every finite p-group.

Since the residue field of $K$ is still $k$, choosing a uniformizer $u$ identifies $K$ with $k((u))$. Indeed successive subtraction of its residue coefficient and division by $u$ gives each element of its valuation ring a unique convergent expansion ${\sum }_{i\ge 0}{b}_i{u}^i$ with $b_i\in k$, and fractions give the Laurent expansions. Each element of $E$ preserves the valuation and fixes $k$, so sends $u$ to $a_{1}u+a_2{u}^2+\cdots$. The linear coefficient is a homomorphism $E\to k^{\times }$. Since $E$ is a $p$-group and $|k^{\times }|=p-1$, that homomorphism is trivial. Thus the faithful Galois action lies in $\mathcal{N}(k)$, completing the embedding proof.

An infinite profinite group is hereditarily just infinite when every open subgroup is infinite and every nontrivial closed normal subgroup of each such open subgroup is open. We sketch the normal-subgroup argument, giving the depth calculation in odd characteristic explicitly. For series of depths $r,s$,where $[f,g]=f^{-1}\circ g^{-1}\circ f\circ g$. The coefficient follows by comparing $f\circ g$ and $g\circ f$ in degree $r+s+1$: their cross terms are $ab(r+1)$ and $ab(s+1)$.

Let $H$ be open and $1\ne K⊴H$ closed. Choose $m$ with ${\mathcal{N}}_m\le H$ and choose $f\in K$ of depth $r$. For every $j\ge m$ with $j\not\equiv r(\mathrm{mod}p)$, commutation with $t+b{t}^{j+1}$ supplies an element of $K$ of depth $r+j$, with any prescribed nonzero leading coefficient by varying $b$. Thus every sufficiently high layer except possibly depths congruent to $2r$ modulo $p$ occurs in $K$.

When $p$ is odd, choose one available depth $u\ge r+m$ with $u\not\equiv 2r,r(\mathrm{mod}p)$. Such a residue exists even for $p=3$. An element $h\in K$ of that depth can be commuted with $t+b{t}^{k-u+1}$ for every sufficiently large missing depth $k\equiv 2r(\mathrm{mod}p)$. The new leading coefficient contains $2u-k\equiv 2(u-r)\ne 0$, so those missing layers occur too. Hence $K$ contains an element with any chosen coefficient in every depth $k\ge M$, for some $M$.

Successive coefficient correction now proves ${\mathcal{N}}_M\le K$: match the coefficient of an arbitrary target in depth $M$ by an element of $K$, correct the error in depth $M+1$, and continue. The partial products converge $t$-adically to the target and remain in $K$, which is closed. Thus $K$ is open. This proves hereditary just infiniteness for odd $p$.

For characteristic two, the leading coefficient alone misses even depths. The standard characteristic-two normal-closure collection lemma supplies the needed extra input: for every $m\ge 1$ and every nonidentity $f\in \mathcal{N}({\mathbb{F}}_2)$, the closed subgroup generated by the conjugates $f^g$ with $g\in {\mathcal{N}}_m$ contains ${\mathcal{N}}_M$ for some $M$. Its proof retains the next coefficients in pairs of group commutators to fill the parity gaps, then uses the same successive coefficient correction. Apply this lemma to $f\in K$ and ${\mathcal{N}}_m\le H$: every such conjugate lies in $K$, so $K$ contains the tail and is open. This states the additional collection result used in the characteristic-two sketch; the odd-prime leading-term argument is not being applied there. Since every open subgroup contains a tail and is infinite, the Nottingham group is hereditarily just infinite for every prime $p$.

The first alternative in the supplied analytic-group theorem would give a faithful representation of $\mathcal{N}$ in some ${\mathrm{GL}}_d({\mathbb{Z}}_p)$ or ${\mathrm{GL}}_d({\mathbb{F}}_p[[t]])$. The embedding proved above supplies cyclic subgroups of order $p^a$ for arbitrarily large $a$. Such orders are impossible in either fixed matrix dimension.

In characteristic zero, a matrix $A$ of order $p^a$ is diagonalizable over an algebraic closure, because its minimal polynomial divides the separable polynomial $X^{p^a}-1$. At least one eigenvalue must be a primitive $p^a$th root of unity; otherwise $A^{p^{a-1}}=I$. The cyclotomic polynomial ${\Phi }_{p^a}$ is irreducible over ${\mathbb{Q}}_p$, since ${\Phi }_{p^a}(1+X)$ satisfies the Eisenstein criterion at $p$. Consequently that eigenvalue has degree $\phi (p^a)=p^{a-1}(p-1)$ over ${\mathbb{Q}}_p$, which must be at most the matrix dimension $d$. This bounds $a$.

In characteristic $p$, pass from the power-series ring to its fraction field. A matrix of $p$-power order satisfies $X^{p^a}-1=(X-1{)}^{p^a}$, so it is unipotent. Writing $A=I+B$, nilpotence gives $B^d=0$. For $p^e\ge d$,Thus its order is at most $p^{\lceil {\log }_{p}d\rceil }$, again a fixed bound. Therefore the linear alternative is impossible in both coefficient rings.

We next bound the closed derived series. For odd $p$, the depth calculation yieldsFor the inclusion from left to right, two series of depth at least $m$ commute modulo ${\mathcal{N}}_{2m+1}$: at depth $2m$ the only possible leading pair has equal depths and its coefficient vanishes. For the reverse inclusion, every depth $k\ge 2m+1$ can be written $r+s=k$ with $r,s\ge m$ and $r\not\equiv s(\mathrm{mod}p)$. Start with $r=m,s=k-m$; if their difference vanishes modulo $p$, replace them by $r=m+1,s=k-m-1$, which is allowed except at $k=2m+1$, where the original difference is already nonzero. The difference changes by $2$, nonzero for odd $p$. Commutators thus supply every high leading coefficient, and closed successive coefficient correction fills the tail.

With ${\mathcal{N}}^{(0)}={\mathcal{N}}_1$, induction on $n$ givesFor $p=2$ use the standard characteristic-two derived-series collection bound, explicitly stated as an additional result:for a fixed constant $C$. One can take a fixed enlarged constant from the tail estimate ${\mathcal{N}}^{(n)}\supseteq {\mathcal{N}}_{\lceil 4{\kappa }^n\rceil +1}$. The more involved two-coefficient collection is necessary in characteristic two; the exact odd-prime tail formula is not asserted there.

In either case there are constants $C^{\prime }>0$ and $\lambda <3$ such that ${\log }_p[\mathcal{N}:{\mathcal{N}}^{(n)}]\le C^{\prime }{\lambda }^n$. If an analytic structure existed, its dimension $d$ would be positive, since a zero-dimensional analytic pro-p group is discrete and compact, hence finite. The second alternative of the supplied theorem would requirefor all sufficiently large $n$, for some fixed $s$. Combining the bounds gives $d{3}^{-s}\le C^{\prime }(\lambda /3{)}^n$, impossible as $n\to \infty$.

The root solution proved hereditary just infiniteness, so the supplied theorem applies. Part (i) excluded its linear alternative, and this calculation excludes its growth alternative. Hence the Nottingham group is not analytic over any pro-$p$ ring.