We continue to investigate the relation between the Mahler measure of certain two variable polynomials, the values of the Bloch--Wigner dilogarithm $D(z)$ and the values $ζ_F(2)$ of zeta functions of number fields. Specifically, we define a class $\A$ of polynomials $A$ with the property that $πm(A)$ is a linear combination of values $D$ at algebraic arguments. For many polynomials in this class the corresponding argument of $D$ is in the Bloch group, which leads to formulas expressing $πm(A)$ as a linear combination with unspecified rational coefficients of $V_F$ for certain number fields $F$ ($V_F := c_Fζ_F(2)$ with $c_F>0$ an explicit simple constant). The class $\A$ contains the $A$-polynomials of cusped hyperbolic manifolds. The connection with hyperbolic geometry often provides means to prove identities of the form $πm(A)= r V_F$ with an explicit value of $r\in \Q^*$. We give one such example in detail in the body of the paper and in the appendix.
We prove Boyd's conjectures relating Mahler's measures and values of L-functions of elliptic curves in the cases when the corresponding elliptic curve has conductor 14.
We use the Wilf-Zeilberger method to prove identities between Mahler measures of polynomials. In particular, we offer a new proof of a formula due to Lalín, and we show how to translate the identity into a formula involving elliptic dilogarithms. This work settles a challenge problem proposed by Kontsevich and Zagier in their paper "Periods".
We prove several identities relating three-variable Mahler measures to integrals of inverse trigonometric functions. After deriving closed forms for most of these integrals, we obtain ten explicit formulas for three-variable Mahler measures. Several of these results generalize formulas due to Condon and Lalín. As a corollary, we also obtain three $q$-series expansions for the dilogarithm.
The aim of this paper is to derive explicitly a connection between the Zagier elliptic trilogarithm and Mahler measures of a certain family of three-variable polynomials defining K3 surfaces. In addition, we prove some linear relations satisfied by the elliptic trilogarithm evaluated at torsion points on elliptic curves. This result can be viewed as a higher dimensional analogue of exotic relations of the elliptic dilogarithm.
This article investigates the Mahler measure of a family of 2-variate polynomials, denoted by $P_d, d\geq 1$, unbounded in both degree and genus. By using a closed formula for the Mahler measure introduced in "Volume function and Mahler measure of exact polynomials" (by Guilloux and Marché), we are able to compute $m(P_d)$, for arbitrary $d$, as a sum of the values of dilogarithm at special roots of unity. We prove that $m(P_d)$ converges and the limit is proportional to $ζ(3)$, where $ζ$ is the Riemann zeta function.
Our aim is to explain instances in which the value of the logarithmic Mahler measure of a polynomial can be written in an unexpectedly neat manner. To this end we examine polynomials defining rational curves, which allows their zero-locus to be parametrized. In these instances the unusual simplification is a consequence of the Galois descent property for Bloch groups. This principle enables one to explain why the arguments of the dilogarithm function depend only on the points where the rational curve intersects the torus |x|=|y|=1. In the process we also present a general method for computing …
We study properties of a generalization of the Mahler measure to elements in group rings, in terms of the Lueck-Fuglede-Kadison determinant. Our main focus is the variation of the Mahler measure when the base group is changed. In particular, we study how to obtain the Mahler measure over an infinite group as limit of Mahler measures over finite groups, for example, in the classical case of the free abelian group or the infinite dihedral group, and others.
We study a class of 2-variable polynomials called exact polynomials which contains $A$-polynomials of knot complements. The Mahler measure of these polynomials can be computed in terms of a volume function defined on the vanishing set of the polynomial. We prove that the local extrema of the volume function are on the 2-dimensional torus and give a closed formula for the Mahler measure in terms of these extremal values. This formula shows that the Mahler measure of an irreducible and exact polynomial divided by $π$ is greater than the amplitude of the volume function. We also prove a $K$-theor…
The Vol-Det Conjecture relates the volume and the determinant of a hyperbolic alternating link in $S^3$. We use exact computations of Mahler measures of two-variable polynomials to prove the Vol-Det Conjecture for many infinite families of alternating links. We conjecture a new lower bound for the Mahler measure of certain two-variable polynomials in terms of volumes of hyperbolic regular ideal bipyramids. Associating each polynomial to a toroidal link using the toroidal dimer model, we show that every polynomial which satisfies this conjecture with a strict inequality gives rise to many infin…
These are the notes of the three lectures I delivered at the mini-workshop "Knot Theory and Number Theory around the A-Polynomial" at the Instituto Superior Tecnico (IST) in Lisbon in January 2014. The goal of the lectures was to familiarize, both the author and, the audience with the A-polynomials and the connection between the Mahler measures of A-polynomials and volumes. The style of these notes is expository, written informally with the aim of giving a flavor of the subject with ample amount of references to direct the interest readers to the details.
The metric Mahler measure was first studied by Dubickas and Smyth in 2001 as a means of phrasing Lehmer's conjecture in topological language. More recent work of the author examined a parametrized family of generalized metric Mahler measures that gives rise to a series of new, and apparently difficult, problems. We establish a connection between these metric Mahler measures and the theory of continued fractions in a certain class of special cases. Our results enable us to calculate metric Mahler measures in several new examples.
We study the dynamical Mahler measure of multivariate polynomials and present dynamical analogues of various results from the classical Mahler measure as well as examples of formulas allowing the computation of the dynamical Mahler measure in certain cases. We discuss multivariate analogues of dynamical Kronecker's Lemma and present some improvements on the result for two variables due to Carter, Lalín, Manes, Miller, and Mocz.
We consider a variation of the Mahler measure where the defining integral is performed over a more general torus. We focus our investigation on two particular polynomials related to certain elliptic curve $E$ and we establish new formulas for this variation of the Mahler measure in terms of $L'(E,0)$.
The purpose of this short note is to give a proof of the following identity between (logarithmic) Mahler measures m(y^2+2xy+y-x^3-2x^2-x)=5/7*m(y^2+4xy+y-x^3+x^2) which is one of many examples that arise from the comparison of Mahler measures and special values of L-functions.
Mahler's measure defines a dynamical system on the algebraic numbers. In this paper, we study the problem of which number fields have points which wander under the iteration of Mahler's measure. We completely solve the problem for all abelian number fields, and more generally, for all extensions of the rationals of degree at most five.
In this paper we will establish functional equations for Mahler measures of families of genus-one two-variable polynomials. These families were previously studied by Beauville, and their Mahler measures were considered by Boyd, Rodriguez-Villegas, Bertin, Zagier, and Stienstra. Our functional equations allow us to prove identities between Mahler measures that were conjectured by Boyd. As a corollary, we also establish some new transformations for hypergeometric functions.
The $k$-higher Mahler measure of a nonzero polynomial $P$ is the integral of $\log^k|P|$ on the unit circle. In this note, we consider Lehmer's question (which is a long-standing open problem for $k=1$) for $k>1$ and find some interesting formulae for 2- and 3-higher Mahler measure of cyclotomic polynomials.
Dubickas and Smyth defined the metric Mahler measure on the multiplicative group of non-zero algebraic numbers. The definition involves taking an infimum over representations of an algebraic number $α$ by other algebraic numbers. We verify their conjecture that the infimum in its definition is always achieved as well as establish its analog for the ultrametric Mahler measure.
Here we give a lower bound of the Mahler measure on a set of polynomials that are "almost" reciprocal. Here "almost" reciprocal means that the outermost coefficients of each polynomial mirror each other in proportion, while this pattern breaks down for the innermost coefficients.
We show that the Mahler measures of the Jones polynomial and of the colored Jones polynomials converge under twisting for any link. Moreover, almost all of the roots of these polynomials approach the unit circle under twisting. In terms of Mahler measure convergence, the Jones polynomial behaves like hyperbolic volume under Dehn surgery. For pretzel links P(a_1,...,a_n), we show that the Mahler measure of the Jones polynomial converges if all a_i tend to infinity, and approaches infinity for a_i = constant if n tend to infinity, just as hyperbolic volume. We also show that after sufficiently m…
We prove a variety of explicit formulas relating special values of generalized hypergeometric functions to lattice sums with four indices of summation. These results are related to Boyd's conjectured identities between Mahler measures and special values of $L$-series of elliptic curves.
We consider a generalization of the Mahler measure of a multivariable polynomial $P$ as the integral of $\log^k|P|$ in the unit torus, as opposed to the classical definition with the integral of $\log|P|$. A zeta Mahler measure, involving the integral of $|P|^s$, is also considered. Specific examples are computed, yielding special values of zeta functions, Dirichlet $L$-functions, and polylogarithms.
The Mahler measures of certain polynomials of up to five variables are given in terms of multiple polylogarithms. Each formula is homogeneous and its weight coincides with the number of variables of the corresponding polynomial.
We consider Akatsuka's zeta Mahler measure as a generating function of higher Mahler measure $m_k(P)$ of a polynomial $P,$ where $m_k(P)$ is the integral of $\log^{k}\left| P \right|$ over the complex unit circle. Restricting ourselves to $\displaystyle P(x)=x+r$ with $|r|=1$ we show some new asymptotic results regarding $m_k(P)$, especially $\left| m_k(P) \right|/k! \to 1/π$ as $k \to \infty.$
A survey of results for Mahler measure of algebraic numbers, and one-variable polynomials with integer coefficients is presented. Related results on the maximum modulus of the conjugates (`house') of an algebraic integer are also discussed. Some generalisations are given too, though not to Mahler measure of polynomials in more than one variable.
We consider the Mahler measure of the polynomial 1+x_1+x_2+x_3+x_4, which is the first case not yet evaluated explicitly. A conjecture due to F. Rodriguez-Villegas represents this Mahler measure as a special value at the point 4 of the L-function of a modular modular form of weight 3. We prove that this Mahler measure is equal to a linear combination of double L-values of certain meromorphic modular forms of weight 4.
New relations are established between families of three-variable Mahler measures. Those identities are then expressed as transformations for the $_5F_4$ hypergeometric function. We use these results to obtain two explicit $_5F_4$ evaluations, and several new formulas for $1/π$.
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.
The Mahler measure of a nonzero $n$-variable polynomial $P$ is the integral of $\log|P|$ on the unit $n$-torus. A result of Boyd and Lawton says that the Mahler measure of a multivariate polynomial is the limit of Mahler measures of univariate polynomials. We prove the analogous result for different extensions of Mahler measure such as generalized Mahler measure (integrating the maximum of $\log|P|$ for possibly different $P$'s), multiple Mahler measure (involving products of $\log|P|$ for possibly different $P$'s), and higher Mahler measure (involving $\log^k|P|$).
We consider the $k$-higher Mahler measure $m_k(P)$ of a Laurent polynomial $P$ as the integral of $\log ^k \left| P \right|$ over the complex unit circle. In this paper we derive an explicit formula for the value of $\left| m_k(P) \right|/k!$ as $k \to \infty.$
In this article, we study the Mahler measures of more than 500 families of reciprocal polynomials defining genus 2 and genus 3 curves. We numerically find relations between the Mahler measures of these polynomials with special values of $L$-functions. We also numerically discover more than 100 identities between Mahler measures involving different families of polynomials defining genus 2 and genus 3 curves. Furthermore, we study the Mahler measures of several families of nonreciprocal polynomials defining genus 2 curves and numerically find relations between the Mahler measures of these famili…
We prove a new lower bound for the Mahler measure of a polynomial in one and in several variables that depends on the complex coefficients, and the number of monomials. In one variable our result generalizes a classical inequality of Mahler. In $M$ variables our result depends on $\mathbb{Z}^M$ as an ordered group, and in general our lower bound depends on the choice of ordering.
We prove a conjectured formula relating the Mahler measure of the Laurent polynomial $1+X+X^{-1}+Y+Y^{-1}$, to the $L$-series of a conductor 15 elliptic curve.
The minimal integral Mahler measure of a number field $K$, $M(\mathcal{O}_K)$, is the minimal Mahler measure of a non-torsion primitive element of $\mathcal{O}_K$. Upper and lower bounds, which depend on the discriminant, are known. We show that for cubics, the lower bounds are sharp with respect to its growth as a function of discriminant. We construct an algorithm to compute $M(\mathcal{O}_K)$ for all cubics with absolute value of the discriminant bounded by $N$.
The Mahler measures of some n-variable polynomial families are given in terms of special values of the Riemann zeta function and a Dirichlet L-series, generalizing the results of \cite{L}. The technique introduced in this work also motivates certain identities among Bernoulli numbers and symmetric functions.
We express the Mahler measures of $23$ families of Laurent polynomials in terms of Eisenstein-Kronecker series. These Laurent polynomials arise as Landau-Ginzburg potentials on Fano $3$-folds, $16$ of which define $K3$ hypersurfaces of generic Picard rank $19$, and the rest are of generic Picard rank $< 19$. We relate the Mahler measure at each rational singular moduli to the value at $3$ of the $L$-function of some weight-$3$ newform. Moreover, we find $10$ exotic relations among the Mahler measures of these families.
We study the Mahler measure of the three-variable Laurent polynomial x + 1/x + y + 1/y + z + 1/z - k where k is a parameter. The zeros of this polynomial define (after desingularization) a family of K3-surfaces. In favorable cases, the K3-surface has Picard number 20, and the Mahler measure is related to its L-function. This was first studied by Marie-Jose Bertin. In this work, we prove several new formulas, extending the earlier work of Bertin.
In a previous paper, the authors introduced several vector space norms on the space of algebraic numbers modulo torsion which corresponded to the Mahler measure on a certain class of numbers and allowed the authors to formulate L^p Lehmer conjectures which were equivalent to their classical counterparts. In this paper, we introduce and study several analogous norms which are constructed in order to satisfy an extremal property with respect to the Mahler measure. These norms are a natural generalization of the metric Mahler measure introduced by Dubickas and Smyth. We evaluate these norms on ce…
The aim of this paper is to prove a Mahler measure formula of a four-variable Laurent polynomial whose zero locus defines a Calabi-Yau threefold. We show that its Mahler measure is a rational linear combination of a special L-value of the normalized newform in S_4(Gamma_0(8)) and a Riemann zeta value. This is equivalent to a new formula for a 6F5-hypergeometric series evaluated at 1.
We present a completely explicit transcendence measure for $e$. This is a continuation and an improvement to the works of Borel, Mahler and Hata on the topic. Furthermore, we also prove a transcendence measure for an arbitrary positive integer power of $e$. The results are based on Hermite-Padé approximations and on careful analysis of common factors in the footsteps of Hata.
The Mahler measure of the polynomials $t(x^m-1) y - (x^n-1) \in \dC[x,y]$ is essentially the sum of volumes of a certain collection of ideal hyperbolic polyhedra in $\HH^3$, which can be determined a priori as a function on the parameter $t$. We obtain a formula that generalizes some previous formulas given by Cassaigne and Maillot \cite{M} and Vandervelde \cite{V}. These examples seem to be related to the ones studied by Boyd \cite{B1}, \cite{B2} and Boyd and Rodriguez Villegas \cite{BRV2} for some cases of the $A$-polynomial of one-cusped manifolds.
In this paper, we estimate the linear independence measures for the values of a class Mahler functions of degree one and two. For the purpose, we study the determinants of suitable Hermite-Padé approximation polynomials. Based on the non-vanishing of these determinants, we apply the functional equations to get an infinite sequence of approximations which is used to produce the linear independence measures.
Recently the second author and Qin numerically verified some Mahler measure identities of genus 2 and 3 polynomial families. In this paper, we use the elliptic regulator to prove an identity invoving shifted Mahler measure for Boyd's family.
Recent work of Pritsker defines and studies an areal version of the Mahler measure. We further explore this function with a particular focus on the case where its value is small, as this is most relevant to Lehmer's conjecture. In this situation, we provide improvements to two inequalities established in Pritsker's original paper.
We present the first example of a polynomial defining a singular K3-surface whose Mahler measure is expressed in terms of the Mahler measure of the faces of its Newton polyhedron and the L-series of the K3-surface.
We study the Mahler measures of certain families of Laurent polynomials in two and three variables. Each of the known Mahler measure formulas for these families involves $L$-values of at most one newform and/or at most one quadratic character. In this paper, we show, either rigorously or numerically, that the Mahler measures of some polynomials are related to $L$-values of multiple newforms and quadratic characters simultaneously. The results suggest that the number of modular $L$-values appearing in the formulas significantly depends on the shape of the algebraic value of the parameter chosen…
Motivated by a geometric meaning of Mahler's measure, we introduce two operator analogues of Mahler's measure. This leads to some interesting equalities and inequalities between the two operator-theoretic Mahler measures and the classical Mahler measure. In order to apply these results to the operator version of Lehmer's problem, we introduce and study an important class of operators, the so-called subharmonic operators. It is shown that the operator version of Lehmer's problem fails under some mild condition.
Let $p$ be a prime number. We develop a theory of $p$-adic Mahler measure of polynomials and apply it to the study of $\mathbb{Z}$-covers of rational homology 3-spheres branched over links. We obtain a $p$-adic analogue of the asymptotic formula of the torsion homology growth and a balance formula among the leading coefficient of the Alexander polynomial, the $p$-adic entropy, and the Iwasawa $μ_p$-invariant. We also apply the purely $p$-adic theory of Besser--Deninger to $\mathbb{Z}$-covers of links. In addition, we study the entropies of profinite cyclic covers of links. We examine various e…
