Integer-valued polynomials and $p$-adic Fourier theory

Abstract

The goal of this paper is to give a numerical criterion for an open question in $p$-adic Fourier theory. Let $F$ be a finite extension of $\mathbf{Q}_p$. Schneider and Teitelbaum defined and studied the character variety $\mathfrak{X}$, which is a rigid analytic curve over $F$ that parameterizes the set of locally $F$-analytic characters $\lambda : (o_F,+) \to (\mathbf{C}_p^\times,\times)$. Determining the structure of the ring $\Lambda_F(\mathfrak{X})$ of bounded-by-one functions on $\mathfrak{X}$ defined over $F$ seems like a difficult question. Using the Katz isomorphism, we prove that if $F= \mathbf{Q}_{p^2}$, then $\Lambda_F(\mathfrak{X}) = o_F [\![o_F]\!]$ if and only if the $o_F$-module of integer-valued polynomials on $o_F$ is generated by a certain explicit set. Some computations in SageMath indicate that this seems to be the case.