Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 March 2023
Let p and $\ell $ be primes such that
$p> 3$ and
$p \mid \ell -1$ and k be an even integer. We use deformation theory of pseudo-representations to study the completion of the Hecke algebra acting on the space of cuspidal modular forms of weight k and level
$\Gamma _0(\ell )$ at the maximal Eisenstein ideal containing p. We give a necessary and sufficient condition for the
$\mathbb {Z}_p$-rank of this Hecke algebra to be greater than
$1$ in terms of vanishing of the cup products of certain global Galois cohomology classes. We also recover some of the results proven by Wake and Wang-Erickson for
$k=2$ using our methods. In addition, we prove some
$R=\mathbb {T}$ theorems under certain hypotheses.
Dedicated to the memory of my father Vilas G. Deo.