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An additive nontrivial valuation on the rational field is equivalent to exactly one P-adic valuation. Integers have nonnegative values; some prime must have positive value, and Bézout's identity prevents two distinct primes from doing so. Unique factorization then gives the formula, with $c>0$ in the real-valued case. The trivial valuation is a separate possibility if admitted by the definition.

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.

A complete discrete valuation ring is a discrete valuation ring complete for its maximal-ideal-adic topology. Equivalently, the canonical map to the inverse limit of the residue rings is an isomorphism: compatible residue classes determine a Cauchy sequence, and completeness gives its unique limit. Standard examples are ${\mathbb{Z}}_p$ and $k[[t]]$. This completeness is the hypothesis that makes Newton iteration over a valued field converge in the ring in the usual Hensel lemma.

For $K_r={\mathbb{Q}}_p({\zeta }_{p^r})$, the uniformizer ${\zeta }_{p^r}-1$ has different exponent $p^{r-1}(r(p-1)-1)$. Differentiate the cyclotomic polynomial at ${\zeta }_{p^r}$: the numerator contributes $r{p}^{r-1}(p-1)$ to the valuation, while the denominator ${\zeta }_p-1$ contributes $p^{r-1}$.

Discriminants of isomorphic Weierstrass equations of an elliptic curve differ by a twelfth power of the scale parameter, so their valuations differ by a multiple of twelve. An integral model with good reduction has discriminant valuation zero. Thus a displayed integral model with discriminant valuation not divisible by twelve proves intrinsic bad reduction. More generally, a displayed discriminant valuation between zero and eleven is already minimal, since any smaller integral-model valuation would be nonnegative and differ by twelve. Positive valuations divisible by twelve alone do not establish bad reduction; rescaling may remove them.

If $a^3=3$ and ${\zeta }_3$ is a primitive cube root of unity, then ${\pi }^3=1+2{\zeta }_3$ and ${\pi }^6=-3$. The Eisenstein polynomial $X^6+3$ therefore presents the entire degree-six splitting field, and $\pi$ is a uniformizer. Its normalised valuation gives $v_L(3)=6$, $v_L(a)=2$ and $v_L({\zeta }_3-1)=3$. The order-three automorphisms displace $\pi$ with valuation four, whereas transpositions displace it with valuation one.

For $E_5^{\prime }:y^2=x^3+100x$, the two-isogeny descent classes $2$ and $10$ have no rational covering points. Their primitive integral quartics are respectively $N^2=2U^4+50V^4$ and $N^2=10(U^4+V^4)$, with $\gcd (U,V)=1$.

For the first equation, reduction modulo $5$ forces $5\mid U$ and $5\mid N$, since $2$ is not a square modulo $5$ and a nonzero fourth power is $1$. Put $U=5U_1,N=5N_1$. Dividing by $25$ gives $N_1^2=50U_1^4+2V^4$, again a nonsquare modulo $5$ because $5\nmid V$. For the second equation, a primitive pair has $U^4+V^4$ nonzero modulo $5$: it is $1$ or $2$. The right side has five-adic valuation exactly $1$, impossible for a square. Since $(5,25)$ lies on $E_5^{\prime }$, its square-class image is exactly $\{1,5\}$. Combined with the rank bound for a prime congruent-number elliptic curve computation, the two-isogeny rank formula yields rank exactly $1$ for $E_5:y^2=x^3-25x$.

In the square-class group of a p-adic field, the unit subgroup consists of classes of even valuation. The unramified subgroup consists of the trivial class and the unique nonsquare class defining an unramified extension of degree two. For odd $p$, the two subgroups coincide with $\{1,u\}$ for a nonsquare unit $u$. For $p=2$, they are $\{1,-1,5,-5\}$ and $\{1,5\}$. Norms from an unramified quadratic local field extension have even valuation, and every unit is a norm. The norm characterization of the quadratic Hilbert symbol therefore gives both displayed annihilator identities. Over ${\mathbb{Q}}_2$, the unramified class is $5$ because $(1+\sqrt{5})/2$ satisfies $T^2-T-1$, whose reduction modulo two is irreducible and separable.

In $L={\mathbb{Q}}_p(\theta )$ with ${\theta }^2=p$, the Eisenstein polynomial $X^2-p$ gives $v_L(\theta )=1$ and $v_L(p)=2$. The element $x=\theta /p$ has field trace zero, but valuation $-1$, so is not in the valuation ring. Cancellation in a field trace contrasts with the multiplicative test in unit norm detects units in a local extension.

The j-invariant is unchanged by admissible changes of Weierstrass equation of an elliptic curve. With $b_2=a_1^2+4a_2$ and $b_4=a_1{a}_3+2a_4$, set $c_4=b_2^2-24b_4$ and $j=c_4^3/\Delta$, where $\Delta$ is the elliptic-curve discriminant. For good reduction over a local field, an integral equation with unit discriminant shows that $j$ lies in the valuation ring. Thus a negative valuation of $j$ proves bad reduction, even if the displayed equation has not been proved minimal.

For an unramified extension $L/K$ of non-Archimedean local fields and any finite extension $M/K$, reduction is a bijection between $K$-field homomorphisms $L\to M$ and $k_K$-field homomorphisms $k_L\to k_M$. Choose an integral generator with separable irreducible reduction. Each specified residue image lifts uniquely to a root in $M$ by Hensel lemma. Conversely a $K$-embedding preserves the unique extended valuation and therefore induces the residue embedding. The same argument applies when $M$ is any non-Archimedean local extension with the given compatible embedding of $K$.

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.

This ternary quadratic form has a nonzero zero over ${\mathbb{Q}}_p$ exactly when $p\ne 7$. Away from $2,5,7,13$, the finite-field square-set intersection proof supplies a nonsingular residue zero, and Hensel lemma lifts it. At 5 use $(0,1,1)$ modulo 5; at 13 use $(3,1,0)$. At 2 hold $x=2,z=1$ and apply the strong form of Hensel lemma to $7Y^2+33$ at $Y=1$: the function and derivative have valuations 3 and 1. At 7, the equation modulo 7 forces $x=z=0$ because 5 is not a square; reduction after dividing by 7 then forces $y=0$. Any normalized integral nonzero solution would therefore have all coordinates divisible by 7, a contradiction.

At a point of a smooth algebraic curve, its local ring is a discrete valuation ring. A local parameter is a generator $t$ of its maximal ideal, equivalently an element of valuation one. It measures the order of a zero of a function or pole by expressing functions as powers of $t$ times units. Over the complex numbers its analytic counterpart is a local coordinate vanishing simply at the point. For an elliptic curve in a Weierstrass equation of an elliptic curve, $t=-x/y$ is the standard parameter at the identity.

For a mixed-characteristic local field with residue characteristic $\ell$, the p-adic logarithm and p-adic exponential function are mutually inverse continuous group homomorphisms on these domains. Bounds on the valuations of the denominators show that higher terms have greater valuation than the linear term. Dividing the logarithm by ${\pi }^r$ identifies the multiplicative higher principal-unit group with the additive integer ring; in particular it is torsion-free.

For $L={\mathbb{Q}}_p({\zeta }_{p^n})$, the uniformiser ${\zeta }_{p^n}-1$ and the uniformizer criterion for lower ramification groups give the displayed valuation for $a\ne 1$. Thus $G_0$ is the full unit group modulo $p^n$, and $G_i$ consists of units congruent to one modulo $p^j$ when $p^{j-1}\le i\le p^j-1$, $1\le j<n$. All groups are trivial for $i\ge p^{n-1}$. The formula includes $p=2$, where the first congruence subgroup is already the full group.

For a polynomial with nonzero constant coefficient over a complete discretely valued field, plot coefficient exponents against their valuations. A lower Newton polygon segment of slope $s$ and horizontal length $r$ accounts for exactly $r$ roots of valuation $-s$, counted with multiplicity in an algebraic closure. Zero coefficients are omitted. Reflecting the horizontal axis changes the sign of every slope, so slope conventions must be fixed before reading root valuations.

An infinite field with the trivial absolute value on a field is discrete, hence locally compact, but its residue field is the original infinite field. Thus local compactness forces a finite residue field and a discrete nontrivial value group only when the valuation is assumed nontrivial.

The elliptic-curve discriminant is $37$, so the elliptic curve has good reduction at both $2$ and $3$. At a prime $\ell$ of good reduction, the reduction of torsion points on an elliptic curve is injective on torsion of order prime to $\ell$. Here is the formal reason: the kernel of reduction of an elliptic curve is described by an integral formal group law on $\ell {\mathbb{Z}}_{\ell }$, and its multiplication series is $[n](t)=nt+O(t^2)$. If $\ell \nmid n$, the first term has strictly smaller valuation than every higher term for $t\ne 0$. Thus this kernel has no nonidentity point killed by $n$.

Apply this to each prime-primary component of the rational torsion subgroup. A component at $2$ injects into ${\tilde{E}}_3({\mathbb{F}}_3)$, of order $7$, and is therefore trivial. A component at $3$ injects into ${\tilde{E}}_2({\mathbb{F}}_2)$, of order $5$, and is trivial. Every other prime-primary component injects into both groups, so its order divides $\gcd (5,7)=1$. This proves the two-prime bound on rational elliptic torsion in the present case:

Choose an integral Minimal Weierstrass equation over ${\mathbb{Z}}_p$. Let $E_0({\mathbb{Q}}_p)$ be the points with nonsingular reduction, and let $E_1({\mathbb{Q}}_p)$ be those reducing to $O$. This distinction matters at bad reduction of an elliptic curve: the whole singular reduced cubic is not a group. The smooth locus is a group under the induced elliptic curve group law, and Hensel's lemma lifts each of its rational points, givingThe formal kernel of a minimal Weierstrass equation identifies $E_1({\mathbb{Q}}_p)$ with $p{\mathbb{Z}}_p$ equipped with $F$. Indeed, the integral series $w(t)$ converges there, and $x=t/w(t)$, $y=-1/w(t)$ give the unique point for each nonzero parameter. If $v_p(t)=r>0$, then $v_p(x)=-2r$ and $v_p(y)=-3r$; the parameter zero gives $O$. Conversely a point reducing to $O$ has these local coordinates of positive valuation, so is recovered by the series.

Define $E_m$ for $m\ge 1$ by $t\in p^m{\mathbb{Z}}_p$. The linear part of the formal group law is addition, and the higher terms have degree at least two. Hence the filtration of elliptic-curve points over a local field hasAt good reduction, $E_0=E$ and $E/E_1\cong \tilde{E}({\mathbb{F}}_p)$. At bad reduction, there is also the finite quotient $E/E_0$: $E({\mathbb{Q}}_p)$ is a compact group because the curve is projective, and $E_0$ is an open subgroup, so its index of a subgroup is finite. Together these quotients and the formal filtration describe the group, including the extra components at bad primes.

The formal logarithm makes the deepest part explicit. Write $L(T)=T+{\sum }_{n\ge 2}{c}_n{T}^n$. Since its derivative is the integral invariant differential of a formal group law, $n{c}_n\in {\mathbb{Z}}_p$. ConsequentlyThe inequality $v_p(n)\le (n-1)/(p-1)$ shows that for an integer $m>1/(p-1)$ every nonlinear term on $p^m{\mathbb{Z}}_p$ has strictly higher valuation than the linear term. After scaling, $L$ is the identity plus a strictly contracting series; solving $L(t)=u$ by successive correction gives its inverse formal group exponential. Thus the deep logarithm subgroup of a formal group givesOne may take $m=1$ for odd $p$ and $m=2$ for $p=2$. In particular, $E({\mathbb{Q}}_p)$ contains an open subgroup isomorphic to the additive p-adic integers, and the remaining information is in finite quotients and their group extensions.