[Math] Ring of integers in p-adic field

algebraic-number-theory

How do we compute the ring of integers in a finite extension of $\mathbb{Q}_p$? Say, for example, in $\mathbb{Q}_p(i)$. Over $\mathbb{Q}$ we would guess $\mathbb{Z}[i]$, compute the discriminant of this $\mathbb{Z}$ module and look for squares dividing it. But squares in $\mathbb{Z}_p$ are slightly more complicated than in $\mathbb{Z}$.

Is there some easy way to see the ramification degree / the degree of the residue field extension? If this were the case then it would be very easy to write down the valuation on the extension.

Best Answer

In order for this question to stop being considered unanswered, I will copy the above comments by KCd:

"Squares in $\mathbb Z_p$ are simpler than in $\mathbb Z$, not more complicated! Anyway, just knowing the ramification index and residue field degree in general is insufficient. A general answer is in Lang's Algebraic Number Theory (2nd ed.), Prop. 23 on p. 26. Using any uniformizer $\pi$ (which you could check if you know the ramification index) and generator $\gamma$ of the residue field extension (which you could check if you know the residue field degree), the integers of the extension are $\mathbb Z_p[\pi,\gamma]$. If $e=1$ use $\pi=p$, so the ring is $\mathbb Z_p[\gamma]$. If $f=1$ use $\gamma=1$, so the ring is $\mathbb Z_p[\pi]$. As for the special case of $\mathbb Q_p(i)$, the ring of integers is in general $\mathbb Z_p[i]$, even for $p=2$, but notice $\mathbb Z_p[i]=Z_p$ if $p\equiv 1\pmod4$ since $−1$ is a $p$-adic square in that case, so writing the ring of integers as $\mathbb Z_p[i]$ is kind of misleading as to what the ring looks like.

Another thing to be careful about is that you know the degree of your field over $\mathbb Q_p$! For instance, asking about the ring of integers of $\mathbb Q_5(\sqrt[3]{2})$ is ambiguous, because $X^3−2$ has one root in $\mathbb Q_5$ and the other roots are quadratic over $\mathbb Q_5$."

Of course, if KCd wants to reclaim his answer (as I suggested above in the comments), I will gladly delete this CW answer.