EPSRC logo

Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: EP/J018716/1
Title: p-adic Iwasawa theory for Galois representations
Principal Investigator: Zerbes, Professor S
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Mathematics
Organisation: UCL
Scheme: First Grant - Revised 2009
Starts: 01 September 2012 Ends: 31 August 2014 Value (£): 90,156
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Algebra & Geometry
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Panel DatePanel NameOutcome
04 Jul 2012 Mathematics Prioritisation Panel Meeting July 2012 Announced
Summary on Grant Application Form
Iwasawa theory is a subfield of number theory whose fundamental questions relate arithmetic problems (e.g. rational solutions to polynomial equations in several variables) to analytic information (e.g. values of certain complex-analytic functions, so-called L-functions). The merging of these two disparate ideas makes Iwasawa theory a mysterious and powerful field. Via its main conjectures, Iwasawa theory remains the only systematic method known today for studying the deep connections between the arithmetic problems and special values of L-functions, typified by the conjecture of Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer.

One can use Iwasawa theory to study the arithmetic of elliptic curves, which are a class of polynomial equations in two variables. Questions about the arithmetic of elliptic curves are linked to some of the oldest problems in number theory, such as the congruent number problem which concerns the existence of right-angled triangles with certain properties. Elliptic curves also played a central role in Wiles' proof of Fermat's last theorem.

In the proposed research I plan to investigate some aspects of the Iwasawa theory of elliptic curves using recently developed tools from an another area of mathematics called 'p-adic analysis'. This should give new insight into some important problems (such as the Birch--Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture) in algebraic number theory.

Key Findings
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Potential use in non-academic contexts
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Impacts
Description This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Summary
Date Materialised
Sectors submitted by the Researcher
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Project URL:  
Further Information:  
Organisation Website: