Abelian Conjectures of Stark Type in Z_p Extensions of Totally Real Fields

Abstract

We study the behaviour of the Stark conjecture for an abelian extension K/k of totally real number fields as K varies in a cyclotomic Z_p-tower. We consider possible strengthenings of the natural norm-coherence in the tower of putative solution of the complex conjecture and,especially, the consequences for the analogous p-adic conjecture. More precisely, under two principal assumptions - (i) that these solutions are given by exterior powers of norm-coherent sequences of global (or p-semilocal) units and (ii) that p splits in k - we show how the values of p-adic twisted zeta-functions for K/k are determined at any integer by a group-ring-valued regulator formed from the appropriate Coates-Wiles homomorphisms.