On the structure theory of the Iwasawa algebra of a p-adic Lie group

This paper is motivated by the question whether there is a nice structure theory of finitely generated modules over the Iwasawa algebra, i.e. the completed group algebra, Λ of a p-adic analytic group G. For G without any p-torsion element we prove that Λ is an Auslander regular ring. This result enables us to give a good definition of the notion of a pseudo-nullΛ-module. This is classical when G=ℤ ^k _p for some integer k≥1, but was previously unknown in the non-commutative case. Then the category of Λ-modules up to pseudo-isomorphisms is studied and we obtain a weak structure theorem for the ℤ _p -torsion part of a finitely generated Λ-module. We also prove a local duality theorem and a version of Auslander-Buchsbaum equality. The arithmetic applications to the Iwasawa theory of abelian varieties are published elsewhere. Received May 12, 2001 / final version received July 5, 2001?Published online September 3, 2001