Successive approximation of p-class towers

Abstract

Let F be a number field and p be a prime. In the Successive Approximation Theorem, we prove that, for each positive integer n, finitely many candidates for the Galois group G(p,n,F) of the n-th stage F(p,n) of the p-class tower F(p,infinity) over F are determined by abelian type invariants of p-class groups Cl(p,E) of unramified extensions E/F with degree [E:F]=$p^{n-1}$. Illustrated by the most extensive numerical results available currently, the transfer kernels ker(T(F,E)) of the p-class extensions T(F,E):Cl(p,F)-->Cl(p,E) from F to unramified cyclic degree-p extensions E/F are shown to be capable of narrowing down the number of contestants significantly. By determining the isomorphism type of the maximal subgroups S<G of all 3-groups G with coclass cc(G)=1, and establishing a general theorem on the connection between the p-class towers of a number field F and of an unramified abelian p-extensions E/F, we are able to provide a theoretical proof of the realization of certain 3-groups S with maximal class by 3-tower groups G(3,infinity,E) of dihedral fields E with degree 6, which could not be realized up to now.