Infinitesimal group schemes as iterative differential Galois groups

Abstract

This article is concerned with Galois theory for iterative differential fields (ID-fields) in positive characteristic. More precisely, we consider purely inseparable Picard–Vessiot extensions, because these are the ones having an infinitesimal group scheme as iterative differential Galois group. In this article we prove a necessary and sufficient condition to decide whether an infinitesimal group scheme occurs as Galois group scheme of a Picard–Vessiot extension over a given ID-field or not. In particular, this solves the inverse ID-Galois problem for infinitesimal group schemes. Furthermore, this gives a tool to tell whether all purely inseparable ID-extensions are in fact Picard–Vessiot extensions.