On non-abelian higher special elements of $p$-adic representations

Abstract

We develop a theory of 'non-abelian higher special elements' in the non-commutative exterior powers of the Galois cohomology of p-adic representations. We explore their relation to the theory of organising matrices and thus to the Galois module structure of Selmer modules. In concrete applications, we relate our general theory to the formulation of refined Stark conjectures and of refined conjectures of Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer type.