Gauss Sums, Stickelberger's Theorem, and the Gras Conjecture for Ray Class Groups

Abstract

Let $k$ be a real abelian number field and $p$ an odd prime not dividing $[k:\mathbb{Q}]$. For a natural number $d$, let $E_d$ denote the group of units of $k$ congruent to $1$ modulo $d$, $C_d$ the subgroup of $d$-circular units of $E_d$, and $\mathfrak{C}(d)$ the ray class group of modulus $d$. Let $\rho$ be an irreducible character of $G=\mathrm{Gal}(k/\mathbb{Q})$ over $\mathbb{Q}_p$ and $e_{\rho} \in \mathbb{Z}_p[G]$ the corresponding idempotent. We show that if the ramification index of $p$ in $k$ is less than $p-1$, then $|e_{\rho} \mathrm{Syl}_p(E_d/C_d) | = |e_{\rho} \mathrm{Syl}_p(\mathfrak{C}_d)|$ where $\mathfrak{C}_d$ is the part of $\mathfrak{C}(d)$ where $G$ acts non-trivially. This is a ray class version of the Gras Conjecture. In the case when $p \mid [k:\mathbb{Q}]$, similar but slightly less precise results are obtained. In particular, beginning with what could be considered a Gauss sum for real fields, we construct explicit Galois annihilators of $\mathrm{Syl}_p(\mathfrak{C}_{\mathfrak{a}})$ akin to the classical Stickelberger Theorem.