Let $k$ be a number field. We consider norm form equations associated to a full $O_k$-module contained in a finite extension field $l$. It is known that the set of solutions is naturally a union of disjoint equivalence classes of solutions. We prove that each nonempty equivalence class of solutions contains a representative with Weil height bounded by an expression that depends on parameters defining the norm form equation.
We consider the practical computation of rational points on y^2=x(x^2+ax+b). The algebra necessary for a 4-descent procedure is described. A simple further descent is then described which only uses integer arithmetic. Numerous examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of this extra descent. Currently, the largest point found has height 51.15 or 102.3, depending on which height normalisation you use.
We give a mathematical structure on an arithmetic surface, that has algebraic meanings over finite places and can estimate the canonical norm for a relative differential form on the arithmetic surface. This will give a lower bound for the canonical norm for a relative differential form on an arithmetic surface, which proves a Height Inequality on the arithmetic surface.
Masser and Vaaler have given an asymptotic formula for the number of algebraic numbers of given degree $d$ and increasing height. This problem was solved by counting lattice points (which correspond to minimal polynomials over $\mathbb{Z}$) in a homogeneously expanding star body in $\mathbb{R}^{d+1}$. The volume of this star body was computed by Chern and Vaaler, who also computed the volume of the codimension-one "slice" corresponding to monic polynomials -- this led to results of Barroero on counting algebraic integers. We show how to estimate the volume of higher-codimension slices, which a…
We consider a dynamical system consisting of a pair of commuting power series, one noninvertible and another nontorsion invertible, of height one with coefficients in the $p$-adic integers. Assuming that each point of the dynamical system generates a Galois extension over the base field, we show that these extensions are in fact abelian, and, using results and considerations from the theory of the field of norms, we also show that the dynamical system must include a torsion series of maximal order. From an earlier result, this shows that the series must in fact be endomorphisms of some height-…
We lower bound the Faltings height of an abelian variety over a number field by the sum of its injectivity diameter and the norm of its bad reduction primes. It leads to an unconditional bound on the rank of Mordell-Weil groups. Assuming the height conjecture of Lang and Silverman, we then obtain a Northcott property for the regulator on the set of simple abelian varieties defined over a fixed number field, of fixed dimension $g$, bounded rank and with dense rational points over a number field. We remove the simplicity assumption in the principally polarized case by giving a refined version of…
We consider a family of heights defined by the $L_p$ norms of polynomials with respect to the equilibrium measure of a lemniscate for $0 \le p \le \infty$, where $p=0$ corresponds to the geometric mean (the generalized Mahler measure) and $p=\infty$ corresponds to the standard supremum norm. This special choice of the measure allows to find an explicit form for the geometric mean of a polynomial, and estimate it via certain resultant. For lemniscates satisfying appropriate hypotheses, we establish explicit polynomials of lowest height, and also show their uniqueness. We discuss relations betwe…
We generalize the absolute logarithmic Weil height from elements of the multiplicative group of algebraic numbers modulo torsion, to finitely generated subgoups. The height of a finitely generated subgroup is shown to equal the volume of a certain naturally occurring, convex, symmetric subset of Euclidean space. This connection leads to a bound on the norm of integer vectors that give multiplicative dependencies among finite sets of algebraic numbers.
Let f : X --> X be an endomorphism of a normal projective variety defined over a global field K, and let D_0,D_1,D_2,... be divisor classes that form a Jordan block with eigenvalue b for the action of f^* on Pic(X) tensored with C. We construct appropriately normalized canonical heights h_0,h_1,h_2,... associated to D_0,D_1,D_2,... and satisfying Jordan transformation formulas h_k(f(x)) = b h_k(x) + h_{k-1}(x). As an application, we prove that for every x in X, the arithmetic degree a_f(x) exists, is an algebraic integer, and takes on only finitely many values as x varies over X. Further, if X…
Let $F$ be an algebraic extension of the rational numbers and $E$ an elliptic curve defined over some number field contained in $F$. The absolute logarithmic Weil height, respectively the Néron-Tate height, induces a norm on $F^*$ modulo torsion, respectively on $E(F)$ modulo torsion. The groups $F^*$ and $E(F)$ are free abelian modulo torsion if the height function does not attain arbitrarily small positive values. In this paper we prove the failure of the converse to this statement by explicitly constructing counterexamples.
Let $X$ be a subvariety of dimension n of the projective space over $\overline{\mathbb{Q}}$, and $H_{norm}(X;D)$ the normalized arithmetic Hilbert function of $X$ introduced by Philippon and Sombra. We show that this function admits the following asymptotic expansion $H_{norm}(X;D) = \frac{\widehat{h}(X)}{(n + 1)!}D^{n+1} + o(D^{n+1})$ where $\widehat{h}(X)$ is the normalized height of $X$. This gives a positive answer to a question raised by Philippon and Sombra.
In this paper we establish three results on small-height zeros of quadratic polynomials over $\overline{\mathbb Q}$. For a single quadratic form in $N \geq 2$ variables on a subspace of $\overline{\mathbb Q}^N$, we prove an upper bound on the height of a smallest nontrivial zero outside of an algebraic set under the assumption that such a zero exists. For a system of $k$ quadratic forms on an $L$-dimensional subspace of $\overline{\mathbb Q}^N$, $N \geq L \geq \frac{k(k+1)}{2}+1$, we prove existence of a nontrivial simultaneous small-height zero. For a system of one or two inhomogeneous quadra…
We generalize results about local heights previously proved in the case of discrete absolute values to arbitrary non-archimedean absolute values of rank 1. First, this is done for the induction formula of Chambert-Loir and Thuillier. Then we prove the formula of Burgos--Philippon--Sombra for the toric local height of a proper normal toric variety in this more general setting. We apply the corresponding formula for Moriwaki's global heights over a finitely generated field to a fibration which is generically toric. We illustrate the last result in a natural example where non-discrete non-archime…
We consider the set of points in projective $n$-space that generate an extension of degree $e$ over given number field $k$, and deduce an asymptotic formula for the number of such points of absolute height at most $X$, as $X$ tends to infinity. We deduce a similar such formula with instead of the absolute height, a so-called adelic-Lipschitz height.
In this survey paper, we discuss the classical Cassels' theorem on existence of small-height zeros of quadratic forms over Q and its many extensions, to different fields and rings, as well as to more general situations, such as existence of totally isotropic small-height subspaces. We also discuss related recent results on effective structural theorems for quadratic spaces, as well as Cassels'-type theorems for small-height zeros of quadratic forms with additional conditions. We conclude with a selection of open problems.
In these lectures we cover basics of the theory of heights starting with the heights in the projective space, heights of polynomials, and heights of the algebraic curves. We define the minimal height of binary forms and moduli height for algebraic curves and prove that the moduli height of superelliptic curves $\mathcal H (f) \leq c_0 \tilde H (f)$ where $c_0$ is a constant and $\tilde H$ the minimal height of the corresponding binary form. For genus $g=2$ and 3 such constant is explicitly determined. Furthermore, complete lists of curves of genus 2 and genus 3 hyperelliptic curves with height…
A family $f_t(z)$ of polynomials over a number field $K$ will be called \emph{weighted homogeneous} if and only if $f_t(z)=F(z^e, t)$ for some binary homogeneous form $F(X, Y)$ and some integer $e\geq 2$. For example, the family $z^d+t$ is weighted homogeneous. We prove a lower bound on the canonical height, of the form \[\hat{h}_{f_t}(z)\geq ε\max\{h_{\mathsf{M}_d}(f_t), \log|\operatorname{Norm}\mathfrak{R}_{f_t}|\},\] for values $z\in K$ which are not preperiodic for $f_t$. Here $ε$ depends only on the number of places at which $f_t$ has bad reduction. For suitably generic morphisms $φ:\math…
We consider a version of height on polynomial spaces defined by the integral over the normalized area measure on the unit disk. This natural analog of Mahler's measure arises in connection with extremal problems for Bergman spaces. It inherits many nice properties such as the multiplicative one. However, this height is a lower bound for Mahler's measure, and it can be substantially lower. We discuss some similarities and differences between the two.
We obtain a more precise version of an asymptotic formula of A. Dubickas for the number of monic Eisenstein polynomials of fixed degree $d$ and of height at most $H$, as $H\to \infty$. In particular, we give an explicit bound for the error term. We also obtain an asymptotic formula for arbitrary Eisenstein polynomials of height at most $H$.
Let $K$ be a global field or $\overline{\mathbb Q}$, $F$ a nonzero quadratic form on $K^N$, $N \geq 2$, and $V$ a subspace of $K^N$. We prove the existence of an infinite collection of finite families of small-height maximal totally isotropic subspaces of $(V,F)$ such that each such family spans $V$ as a $K$-vector space. This result generalizes and extends a well known theorem of J. Vaaler and further contributes to the effective study of quadratic forms via height in the general spirit of Cassels' theorem on small zeros of quadratic forms. All bounds on height are explicit.
Define B(n) to be the largest height of a polynomial in $\mathbb{Z}[x]$ dividing $x^n-1$. We formulate a number of conjectures related to the value of B(n) when $n$ is of a prescribed form. Additionally, we prove a lower bound for $B(p^aq^b)$ where $p,q$ are distinct primes.
Let $k$ be a number field. For $\mathcal{H}\rightarrow \infty$, we give an asymptotic formula for the number of algebraic integers of absolute Weil height bounded by $\mathcal{H}$ and fixed degree over $k$.
Let $K$ be a 1-dimensional function field over an algebraically closed field of characteristic $0$, and let $A/K$ be an abelian surface. Under mild assumptions, we prove a Lehmer-type lower bound for points in $A(\bar{K})$. More precisely, we prove that there are constants $C_1,C_2>0$ such that the normalized Bernoulli-part of the canonical height is bounded below by $$ \hat{h}_A^{\mathbb{B}}(P) \ge C_1\bigl[K(P):K\bigr]^{-2} $$ for all points $P\in{A(\bar{K})}$ whose height satisfies $0<\hat{h}_A(P)\le{C_2}$.
In the paper we partially solved the problem of the distribution of the discriminants of integral polynomials in the cubic case. We proved the asymptotic formula for the number of integral cubic polynomials having bounded height and bounded discriminant. The main term of the obtained formula is the best possible for the considered range of polynomial discriminant values.
To study problems involving heights as, eg, Manin's conjecture on the number of points of bounded height on an algebraic variety defined over a number field, it is desirable to have a good normalization of these height functions. We show how one can define these on fiber spaces. The construction uses the notion of an ``arithmetic torsor'', which is the analogue for a general algebraic group of adding a hermitian metric at infinity for vector bundles.
Given an isotropic quadratic form over a number field which assumes a value $t$, we investigate the distribution of points at which this value is assumed. Building on the previous work about the distribution of small-height zeros of quadratic forms, we produce bounds on height of points outside of some algebraic sets in a quadratic space at which the form assumes the value $t$. Our bounds on height are explicit in terms of the heights of the form, the space, the algebraic set and the value $t$.
Let X be a projective integral normal scheme over a number field F; let L be a ample line bundle on X together with a semi-positive adelic metric in the sense of Zhang. The main results of this article are 1) A formula which computes the height (relative to L) of a Cartier divisor D on X as generalized "Mahler measures", i.e. by integrating Green functions for D against measures attached to L. 2) a theorem of equidistribution of points of "small" height valid for functions with logarithmic singularities along a divisor D, provided the height of D is "minimal". In the context of algebraic dynam…
We establish a quantitative adelic equidistribution theorem for a sequence of algebraic zeros divisors on the projective line over the separable closure of a product formula field having small diagonals and small $g$-heights with respect to an adelic normalized weight $g$ in arbitrary characteristic and in possibly non-separable setting, and obtain local proximity estimates between the iterations of a rational function $f\in k(z)$ of degree $>1$ and a rational function $a\in k(z)$ of degree $>0$ over a product formula field $k$ of characteristic $0$, applying this quantitative adelic equidistr…
We give an asymptotic formula for the number of weak Campana points of bounded height on a family of orbifolds associated to norm forms for Galois extensions of number fields. From this formula we derive an asymptotic for the number of elements with $m$-full norm over a given Galois extension of $\mathbb{Q}$. We also provide an asymptotic for Campana points on these orbifolds which illustrates the vast difference between the two notions, and we compare this to the Manin-type conjecture of Pieropan, Smeets, Tanimoto and Várilly-Alvarado.
In this paper we prove a formula for the number of rational points of bounded height relative to all the generators of the cone of effective divisor for a toric variety over a number field.
Let phi(z) be a polynomial of degree at least 2 with coefficients in a number field K. Iterating phi gives rise to a dynamical system and a corresponding canonical height function, as defined by Call and Silverman. We prove a simple product formula relating the transfinite diameters of the filled Julia sets of phi over various completions of K, and we apply this formula to give a generalization of Bilu's equidistribution theorem for sequences of points whose canonical heights tend to zero.
