Normalized Derivations for Milnor's Primitive Operations on the Dickson Algebra and Applications
Abstract
Our work investigates the action of primitive Milnor operations $St^{\Delta_i}$ on the Dickson algebra $D_n$ over $\mathbb{F}_p$, building upon a foundational formula by Nguyen Sum [3]. Our central contribution is the introduction of a normalized operator, $\delta_i$, by factoring out the ubiquitous invariant $Q_{n, 0}$. This normalization transforms $St^{\Delta_i}$ into a true derivation on the localized Dickson algebra, thereby establishing an elegant differential framework. This framework yields two new significant results: first, a closed-form formula for all higher iterates of the operator, revealing a strong factorial-based vanishing criterion for iterates of order $\geq p$. Second, the discovery of a normalized coordinate system where the action has constant coefficients. This latter insight reduces the problem of computing the associated Margolis homology to a standard Koszul complex computation, in direct analogy with a recent result by Ngo Anh Tuan [4]. As further consequences, we also construct a large family of kernel elements and describe the global structure of the action.