On the theory of higher rank Euler, Kolyvagin and Stark systems, IV: the multiplicative group

Abstract

We describe a refinement of the general theory of higher rank Euler, Kolyvagin and Stark systems in the setting of the multiplicative group over arbitrary number fields. We use the refined theory to prove new results concerning the Galois structure of ideal class groups and the validity of both the equivariant Tamagawa number conjecture and of the `refined class number formula' that has been conjectured by Mazur and Rubin and by Sano. In contrast to previous work in this direction, these results require no hypotheses on the decomposition behaviour of places that are intended to rule out the existence of `trivial zeroes'.