Let $k$ be a finitely generated field, let $X$ be an algebraic variety and $G$ a linear algebraic group, both defined over $k$. Suppose $G$ acts on $X$ and every element of a Zariski-dense semigroup $Γ\subset G(k)$ has a rational fixed point in $X(k)$. We then deduce, under some mild technical assumptions, the existence of a rational map $G\to X$, defined over $k$, sending each element $g\in G$ to a fixed point for $g$. The proof makes use of a recent result of Ferretti and Zannier on diophantine equations involving linear recurrences. As a by-product of the proof, we obtain a version of the classical Hilbert Irreducibility Theorem valid for linear algebraic groups.
Given an integer $γ\geq 2$ and an odd prime power $q$ we show that for every large genus $g$ there exists a non-singular curve $C$ defined over $\mathbb{F}_q$ of genus $g$ and gonality $γ$ and with exactly $γ(q+1)$ $\mathbb{F}_q$-rational points. This is the maximal number of rational points possible. This answers a recent conjecture by Faber--Grantham. Our methods are based on curves on toric surfaces and Poonen's work on squarefree values of polynomials.
Let $K$ be a field of characteristic not two and $K(x,y,z)$ the rational function field over $K$ with three variables $x,y,z$. Let $G$ be a finite group of acting on $K(x,y,z)$ by monomial $K$-automorphisms. We consider the rationality problem of the fixed field $K(x,y,z)^G$ under the action of $G$, namely whether $K(x,y,z)^G$ is rational (that is, purely transcendental) over $K$ or not. We may assume that $G$ is a subgroup of $\mathrm{GL}(3,\mathbb{Z}) and the problem is determined up to conjugacy in $\mathrm{GL}(3,\mathbb{Z})$. There are 73 conjugacy classes of $G$ in $\mathrm{GL}(3,\mathbb{…
Let $Z$ be a projective geometrically integral algebraic variety. This paper is concerned with estimating the number of rational points on $Z$ which have height at most $B$. The bounds obtained are uniform in varieties of fixed degree and fixed dimension, and are essentially best possible for varieties of degree at least six.
Let $G$ be a finite group acting on $k(x_1,...,x_n)$, the rational function field of $n$ variables over a field $k$. The action is called a purely monomial action if $σ...x_j=\prod_{1\le i\le n} x_i^{a_{ij}}$ for all $σ\in G$, for $1\le j\le n$ where $(a_{ij})_{1\le i,j\le n} \in GL_n(\bm{Z})$. The main question is that, under what situations, the fixed field $k(x_1,...,x_n)^G$ is rational (= purely transcendental) over $k$. This rationality problem has been studied by Hajja, Kang, Hoshi, Rikuna when $n\le 3$. In this paper we will prove that $k(x_1,x_2,x_3,x_4)^G$ is rational over $k$ provide…
We propose the existence of an infinite class of exact analogues of the 3x+1 conjecture for rational numbers with fixed denominators. For some other denominators, there are several attracting cycles, which exhibit scaling and covariance phenomena. We analyze these phenomena in terms of results of Bohm, Sontacchi and Lagarias.
For one variable rational function $ϕ\in K(z)$ over a field $K$, we can define a discrete dynamical system by regarding $ϕ$ as a self morphism of $\mathbb{P}_{K}^{1}$. Hatjispyros and Vivaldi defined a dynamical zeta function for this dynamical system using multipliers of periodic points, that is, an invariant which indicates the local behavior of dynamical systems. In this paper, we prove the rationality of dynamical zeta functions of this type for a large class of rational functions $ϕ\in K(z)$. The proof here relies on Woods Hole fixed point formula and some basic facts on the trace of a li…
The main result of this note is that there are at most seven rational points (including the one at infinity) on the curve C_A with the affine equation y^2 = x^5 + A (where A is a tenth power free integer) when the Mordell-Weil rank of the Jacobian of C_A is one. This bound is attained for A = 18^2.
We produce an infinite family of transcendental numbers which, when raised to their own power, become rational. We extend the method, to investigate positive rational solutions to the equation $x^x = α$, where $α$ is a fixed algebraic number. We then explore the consequences of $x^{P(x)}$ being rational, if $x$ is rational and $P(x)$ is a fixed integer polynomial.
For a fixed dimension $N$ we compute the generating function of the numbers $t_N(n)$ (respectively $\bar{t}_N(n)$) of $PGL_{N+1}(k)$-orbits of rational $n$-sets (respectively rational $n$-multisets) of the projective space $\mathb{P}^N$ over a finite field $k=\mathbb{F}_q$. For $N=1,2$ these results provide concrete formulas for $t_N(n)$ and $\bar{t}_N(n)$ as a polynomial in $q$ with integer coefficients.
We extend the computations from our previous paper arXiv:2005.07054 to determine the maximum number of rational points on a curve over $\mathbb{F}_3$ and $\mathbb{F}_4$ with fixed gonality and small genus. We find, for example, that there is no curve of genus 5 and gonality 6 over a finite field. We propose two conjectures based on our data. First, an optimal curve of genus $g$ has gonality at most $\lfloor \frac{g+3}{2} \rfloor$. Second, a curve of gonality $γ$ and large genus over $\mathbb{F}_q$ has $γ(q+1)$ rational points.
A smooth geometrically connected curve over the finite field $\mathbb{F}_q$ with gonality $γ$ has at most ${γ(q+1)}$ rational points. The first author and Grantham conjectured that there exist curves of every sufficiently large genus with gonality $γ$ that achieve this bound. In this paper, we show that this bound can be achieved for an infinite sequence of genera using abelian covers of the projective line. We also argue that abelian covers will not suffice to prove the full conjecture.
Define $θ(x)=(x-1)/3$ if $x\geq 1$, and $θ(x)=2x/(1-x)$ if $x<1$. We conjecture that the orbit of every positive rational number ends in 0. In particular, there does not exist any positive rational fixed point for a map in the semigroup $Ω$ generated by the maps $3x+1$ and $x/(x+2)$. In this paper, we prove that the asymptotic density of the set of elements in $Ω$ that have rational fixed points is zero.
Given integers s and t, define a function phi_{s,t} on the space of all formal complex series expansions by phi_{s,t} (sum a_n x^n) = sum a_{sn+t} x^n. We define an integer r to be distinguished with respect to (s,t) if r and s are relatively prime and and r divides t (1 + s + ... s^{ord_r(s)-1}). The vector space consisting of all rational functions whose Taylor expansions at zero are fixed by phi_{s,t} was previously classified by constructing a basis that is partially indexed by integers that are distinguished with respect to the pair (s,t). In this paper, we study the properties of the set…
This paper proves two results on the field of rationality $\Q(π)$ for an automorphic representation $π$, which is the subfield of $\C$ fixed under the subgroup of $\Aut(\C)$ stabilizing the isomorphism class of the finite part of $π$. For general linear groups and classical groups, our first main result is the finiteness of the set of discrete automorphic representations $π$ such that $π$ is unramified away from a fixed finite set of places, $π_\infty$ has a fixed infinitesimal character, and $[\Q(π):\Q]$ is bounded. The second main result is that for classical groups, $[\Q(π):\Q]$ grows to in…
The cyclic insertion conjecture of Borwein, Bradley, Broadhurst and Lisoněk states that inserting all cyclic shifts of some fixed blocks of 2's into the multiple zeta value ζ(1,3,...,1,3) gives an explicit rational multiple of a power of π. In this paper we use motivic multiple zeta values to establish a non-explicit symmetric insertion result: inserting all possible permutations of some fixed blocks of 2's into ζ(1,3,...,1,3) gives some rational multiple of a power of π.
We show that, if a sequence of non-zero polynomials in $\mathbb{Z}[X_1,X_2]$ take small values at translates of a fixed point $(ξ,η)$ by multiples of a fixed rational point within the group $\mathbb{C}\times\mathbb{C}^*$, then $ξ$ and $η$ are both algebraic over $\mathbb{Q}$. The precise statement involves growth conditions on the degree and norm of these polynomials as well as on their absolute values at these translates. It is essentially best possible in some range of the parameters.
For a subgroup of $PGL(2,q)$ we show how some irreducible polynomials over $\mathbb{F}_q$ arise from the field of invariant rational functions. The proofs rely on two actions of $PGL(2,F)$, one on the projective line over a field $F$ and the other on the rational function field $F(x)$. The invariant functions in $F(x)$ are used to show that regular patterns exist in the factorization of certain polynomials into irreducible polynomials. We use some results about group actions and the orbit polynomial, whose proofs are included. An unusual connection to the conjugacy classes of $PGL(2,q)$ is sho…
We investigate in a statistical fashion the smallest height of a rational point on a Fano hypersurface defined over the field of rational numbers. Along the way, we establish an average version of Manin's conjecture about the number of rational points of bounded height on Fano varieties for the complete family of Fano hypersurfaces of fixed degree and dimension.
Our purpose is to give an account of the $r$-tuple problem on the increasing sequence of reduced fractions having denominators bounded by a certain size and belonging to a fixed real interval. We show that when the size grows to infinity, the proportion of the $r$-tuples of consecutive denominators with components in certain apriori fixed arithmetic progressions with the same ratio approaches a limit, which is independent on the interval. The limit is given explicitly and it is completely described in a few particular instances.
