Ramification theory and perfectoid spaces

Abstract: Let K and F be complete discrete valuation fields of residue characteristic p>0. Let m be a positive integer no more than their absolute ramification indices. Let s and t be their uniformizers. Let L/K and E/F be finite extensions such that the modulo s^m of the extension O_L/O_K and modulo t^m of O_E/O_F are isomorphic. Let j=<m be a positive rational number. In this paper, we prove that the ramification of L/K is bounded by j if and only if the ramification of E/F is bounded by j. As an application, we prove that the categories of finite separable extensions of K and F whose ramifications are bounded by j are equivalent to each other, which generalizes a theorem of Deligne to the case of imperfect residue fields. We also show the compatibility of Scholl's theory of higher fields of norms with the ramification theory of Abbes-Saito, and the integrality of small Artin and Swan conductors of abelian extensions of mixed characteristic.