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The absolute residue degree is the degree of the residue field over its prime field. For a tower above $p$, degrees multiply: $[k_{\mathfrak{q}}:{\mathbb{F}}_p]=[k_{\mathfrak{q}}:k_{\mathfrak{p}}][k_{\mathfrak{p}}:{\mathbb{F}}_p]$. In a Galois extension over $\mathbb{Q}$, the decomposition group has a cyclic quotient group of this order by its inertia group. This can exclude residue degrees even when the whole extension has that degree: $S_3$ has no cyclic quotient group of order six.

For $K/{\mathbb{Q}}_p$ finite, let $x_n^{p^n}=x$ in its finite residue field, and choose arbitrary lifts $y_n\in {\mathcal{O}}_K$. With normalized discrete valuation,Applying this binomial estimate repeatedly to $y_n$ and $[x_n]$ proves the displayed bound, and hence convergence to $[x]$.

For a field $F$ of characteristic $p$, the exact sequence $0\to {\mathbb{F}}_p\to F^{\mathrm{sep}}\stackrel{z\mapsto z^p-z}{\to }{F}^{\mathrm{sep}}\to 0$, together with additive normal-basis acyclicity, gives $H^2(\mathrm{Gal}(F^{\mathrm{sep}}/F),{\mathbb{F}}_p)=0$. Consequently every central finite embedding problem with group homomorphism kernel $C_p$ has a continuous weak solution: its pulled-back two-cocycle is a coboundary, whose correcting one-cochain supplies the lift. Over ${\mathbb{F}}_p((t))$, independent Artin–Schreier classes $t^{-m}$, with $m>0$ prime to $p$, allow the lift to be twisted by characters so that inertia maps onto the group homomorphism kernel as well as onto the original quotient. Induction through central order-$p$ quotients therefore realizes every finite p-group as the Galois group of a totally ramified extension with residue field ${\mathbb{F}}_p$.

A field with a surjective discrete valuation, complete for the associated non-Archimedean metric. Its valuation ring is a discrete valuation ring, and its maximal ideal is generated by a uniformizer. Completeness allows successive congruence solutions to converge to actual roots, which underlies the Hensel lemma. Non-Archimedean local fields are examples; completeness alone does not require the residue field to be finite.

For a scheme over $\mathbb{R}$, its base change of a morphism of schemes to $\mathbb{C}$ has scheme-theoretic fibre over a point $p$ equal to $\mathrm{Spec}(\kappa (p){\otimes }_{\mathbb{R}}\mathbb{C})$. This is the spectrum of $\kappa (p)[s]/(s^2+1)$. It has two points if $-1$ is a square in the residue field, and otherwise one point with a quadratic field extension. In both cases it is reduced, because the quadratic polynomial has no repeated root in characteristic zero. The distinction applies to generic points as well as closed points.

For an ideal $I\subseteq R$, its conormal module is $I/I^2$, naturally an $R/I$-module. It records generators and relations to first order along the quotient $R/I$. If $I$ is the maximal ideal of a local ring, it is the cotangent space of a local ring over the residue field. For the augmentation ideal $(X_1-1,\dots ,X_r-1)$ of $A[X_1^{\pm 1},\dots ,X_r^{\pm 1}]$, reduction modulo $I^2$ gives $I/I^2\cong A^r$, with basis the classes of $X_i-1$.

A monic polynomial over a complete discrete valuation ring factors with prescribed coprime monic residue factors. Given monic lifts $g_r,h_r$ correct modulo ${\pi }^r$, the degree-bounded map $(u,v)\mapsto u{\bar{h}}_r+v{\bar{g}}_r$ is a bijection over the residue field, by coprimality and equality of dimensions. Solve it for the error $(f-g_r{h}_r)/{\pi }^r$, and replace the lifts by $g_r+{\pi }^{r}u,h_r+{\pi }^{r}v$. Their coefficients converge by completeness and the limiting product is $f$. The completeness assumption cannot be replaced just by localization.

For a local ring $(A,\mathfrak{m})$ with residue field $k$, put $B=A[[x]]$ and $I=\mathfrak{m}B+xB$. There is a natural $k$-vector space isomorphism $I/I^2\cong (\mathfrak{m}/{\mathfrak{m}}^2)\oplus k$. The inverse sends $(\bar{a},\bar{b})$ to the class of $a+bx$. It is well-defined because changing $a$ by ${\mathfrak{m}}^2$ or $b$ by $\mathfrak{m}$ changes the result by $I^2$. It is surjective since every $f\in I$ is congruent modulo $x^{2}B\subseteq I^2$ to its constant and linear terms. As $I^2={\mathfrak{m}}^{2}B+x\mathfrak{m}B+x^{2}B$, those coefficients of an element of $I^2$ lie in ${\mathfrak{m}}^2$ and $\mathfrak{m}$, respectively. This proves injectivity. Thus adjoining one formal variable increases finite embedding dimension by one.

For a local ring $(R,\mathfrak{m})$ with residue field $\kappa =R/\mathfrak{m}$, its cotangent space is the $\kappa$-vector space $\mathfrak{m}/{\mathfrak{m}}^2$. In a Noetherian local ring, its dimension is the minimal number of generators of $\mathfrak{m}$, by the Nakayama lemma. Equality of this dimension with the Krull dimension defines a regular local ring.

For a normalized discrete valuation, a uniformizer $\pi$, and a chosen set $A$ of representatives of the residue field, every existing nonzero element has a unique displayed expansion, with its first digit not in the maximal ideal. Starting from $y_0={\pi }^{-v(x)}x$, choose $a_j$ representing $y_j$ modulo the maximal ideal and put $y_{j+1}=(y_j-a_j)/\pi$. The error after $r$ digits has valuation at least $v(x)+r$, so the sums converge to $x$ even without completeness. Conversely arbitrary digit sequences need not converge in an incomplete field: in $\mathbb{Q}$ with its three-adic valuation, the digits of $\sqrt{10}\in {\mathbb{Q}}_3$ give a counterexample. Hensel lemma gives this square root, but it is not rational.

For a locally compact field with a nontrivial Non-Archimedean absolute value, scaling a compact neighborhood makes its valuation ring compact. Its open maximal ideal gives a finite discrete residue field, so that ideal is also closed and compact. A nonzero element of maximal absolute value in the ideal generates it. Successive division by this uniformizer makes the value group discrete.

For a non-Archimedean local field $K$, every finite extension $\ell /k_K$ of its residue field is realized by an unramified extension of $K$, unique up to $K$-isomorphism. Lift the irreducible polynomial of a residue generator to a monic integral polynomial and adjoin a root. Its residue degree equals its field degree, forcing ramification index one. In any other such extension the Hensel lemma lifts the same simple residue root, giving an isomorphism.

For a characteristic-p local field with residue field ${\mathbb{F}}_q$, the simple roots of $X^q-X$ lift uniquely by Hensel lemma. Their lifts form a copy of ${\mathbb{F}}_q$, since qth powers preserve addition and multiplication. Choose a uniformizer $\pi$. Repeatedly subtracting the lifted residue and dividing by $\pi$ produces a unique convergent expansion ${\sum }_{i\ge 0}{a}_i{\pi }^i$ for each integral element. Allowing finitely many negative powers gives a valued-field isomorphism $K\cong {\mathbb{F}}_q((T))$, $T\mapsto \pi$.

Realize a finite p-group $P$ as the Galois group of a totally ramified extension $E/{\mathbb{F}}_p((t))$, using Artin-Schreier embedding problems over a characteristic-p field. A uniformizer $u$ of $E$ gives $E\cong {\mathbb{F}}_p((u))$: every element has a unique convergent Laurent expansion with coefficients in the residue field. An automorphism has $u\mapsto a_{1}u+a_2{u}^2+\cdots$, and $a_1$ defines a homomorphism $P\to {\mathbb{F}}_p^{\times }$. Its image is trivial because $|P|$ is a $p$-power and $p\nmid |{\mathbb{F}}_p^{\times }|$. Thus the faithful Galois action lies in the Nottingham group, embedding $P$.

If $(A,\mathfrak{m})$ is a local ring, then $B=A[[x]]$ is local with maximal ideal $I=\mathfrak{m}B+xB$ and residue field $A/\mathfrak{m}$. A series $f=\sum a_n{x}^n$ is a unit if and only if $a_0$ is a unit. Necessity follows by taking constant coefficients of an inverse; sufficiency follows from the recursion $b_0=a_0^{-1}$ and $b_n=-a_0^{-1}{\sum }_{i=1}^n{a}_i{b}_{n-i}$ for its inverse. Thus the nonunits are precisely series with $a_0\in \mathfrak{m}$, which is exactly $I$, since $f=a_0+xg$. The constant-coefficient map followed by reduction modulo $\mathfrak{m}$ has kernel $I$ and image $A/\mathfrak{m}$.

An integral Weierstrass equation of an elliptic curve with unit elliptic-curve discriminant defines a smooth proper elliptic curve over the valuation ring. Properness identifies points over the local field with integral sections. The group law, constructed by adding degree-zero divisor classes, is a morphism over the valuation ring, and base change to the residue field preserves it. Hence reducing primitive projective coordinates is a group homomorphism, including exceptional affine addition cases.

For a local field with finite residue field, evaluate the Witt residue character on arithmetic Frobenius. This gives ${\mathrm{inv}}_K:\mathrm{Br}(K)\cong \mathbb{Q}/\mathbb{Z}$. For the unramified degree-$m$ cyclic algebra with arithmetic Frobenius generator and parameter $a$, the invariant is $v_K(a)/m$. Its reduced denominator is the index of the division representative.

A complete field with a nontrivial Non-Archimedean absolute value is locally compact exactly when its valuation is discrete and its residue field is finite. In that case its valuation ring is the inverse limit of the finite rings $\mathcal{O}/{\mathfrak{m}}^n$ and is compact. The nontrivial valuation in the local compactness criterion is essential.

A homomorphism $\phi :(A,\mathfrak{m})\to (B,\mathfrak{n})$ of local rings is local if $\phi (\mathfrak{m})\subseteq \mathfrak{n}$, equivalently ${\phi }^{-1}(\mathfrak{n})=\mathfrak{m}$. The equivalence uses the fact that all elements outside $\mathfrak{m}$ are units. It induces an embedding of residue fields $A/\mathfrak{m}\to B/\mathfrak{n}$.

For a uniformizer $\pi$ of a non-Archimedean local field $K$ with residue field of cardinality $q$, a Lubin–Tate series is a series $f(T)\in {\mathcal{O}}_K[[T]]$ satisfyingIt determines the associated two-variable Lubin–Tate formal group. A useful example is $f(T)=\pi T+T^q$. For $K={\mathbb{Q}}_p$ and $\pi =p$, the choice $(1+T{)}^p-1$ gives the formal multiplicative group and the Lubin–Tate cyclotomic example.