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 the Mahler measure of any parametrizable polynomial.
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.
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.
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…
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 study Laurent polynomials in any number of variables that are sums of at most $k$ monomials. We first show that the Mahler measure of such a polynomial is at least $h/2^{k-2}$, where $h$ is the height of the polynomial. Next, restricting to such polynomials having integer coefficients, we show that the set of logarithmic Mahler measures of the elements of this restricted set is a closed subset of the nonnegative real line, with $0$ being an isolated point of the set. In the final section, we discuss the extent to which such an integer polynomial of Mahler measure $1$ is determined by its $k…
In this work, we are dealing with some properties relating the zeros of a polynomial and its Mahler measure. We provide estimates on the number of real zeros of a polynomial, lower bounds on the distance between the zeros of a polynomial and non-zeros located on the unit circle and a lower bound on the number of zeros of a polynomial in the disk $\{\vert x-1\vert<1\}$.
We study the distribution of Mahler's measures of reciprocal polynomials with complex coefficients and bounded even degree. We discover that the distribution function associated to Mahler's measure restricted to monic reciprocal polynomials is a reciprocal (or anti-reciprocal) Laurent polynomial on [1,\infty) and identically zero on [0,1). Moreover, the coefficients of this Laurent polynomial are rational numbers times a power of π. We are led to this discovery by the computation of the Mellin transform of the distribution function. This Mellin transform is an even (or odd) rational function w…
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 $\log^k|P|$).
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.
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 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…
We establish a functional identity for Mahler measures of the two-parametric family $P_{a,c}(x,y)=a(x+1/x)+y+1/y+c$. Our result extends an identity proven in a paper of Lalín, Zudilin and Samart. As a by-product, we obtain evaluations of $m(P_{a,c})$ for some algebraic values of $a$ and $c$ in terms of special values of $L$-functions and logarithms. We also give a sufficient condition for validity of a certain identity between the elliptic integrals of the first and the third kind, which implies several identities for $m(P_{a,c})$.
This is the second paper in a series of two in which a global algebraic number theory of the reals is formulated with the purpose of providing a unified setting for algebraic and transcendental number theory. In this paper, to any real number $θ$ we associate its polynomial diophantine approximation ring: a tri-filtered subring of a nonstandard model of the ring $\mathbb{Z}[X]$. We characterize the filtration structure of the polynomial diophantine approximation ring according to the Mahler class and the Mahler type of $θ$. The arithmetic of polynomial diophantine approximation groups is intro…
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.
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…
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.
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.
The Mahler measure of a polynomial $P$ in $n$ variables is defined as the mean of $\log|P|$ over the $n$-dimensional torus. For certain polynomials with integer coefficients in two variables the Mahler measure is known to be related to special values of L-functions of arithmetic objects (e.g. Dirichlet characters and elliptic curves over $\mathbb{Q}$). Inspired by work of Deninger Boyd has investigated this relationship numerically. In this paper we reduce some conjectures of Boyd to Beilinson`s conjectures on special values of L-functions. The methods in use are widely of K-theoretical nature…
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 $L'(E,0)$.
We discuss several aspects of the dynamical Mahler measure for multivariate polynomials. We prove a weak dynamical version of Boyd--Lawton formula and we characterize the polynomials with integer coefficients having dynamical Mahler measure zero both for the case of one variable (Kronecker's lemma) and for the case of two variables, under the assumption that the dynamical version of Lehmer's question is true.
We show that the Mahler measure of every Borwein polynomial -- a polynomial with coefficients in $ \{-1,0,1 \}$ having non-zero constant term -- can be expressed as a maximal Lyapunov exponent of a matrix cocycle that arises in the spectral theory of binary constant-length substitutions. In this way, Lehmer's problem for height-one polynomials having minimal Mahler measure becomes equivalent to a natural question from the spectral theory of binary constant-length substitutions. This supports another connection between Mahler measures and dynamics, beyond the well-known appearance of Mahler mea…
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 $k \to \infty.$
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.
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 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".
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.
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 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.
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.
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 $k \to \infty.$
If, for a subset S of Z^k, we compare the conditions of being parametrizable (a) by a single k-tuple of polynomials with integer coefficients, (b) by a single k-tuple of integer-valued polynomials and, (c) by finitely many k-tuples of polynomials with integer coefficients (variables ranging through the integers in each case) then (a) implies (b) (obviously), (b) implies (c), and neither converse holds. Condition (b) is equivalent to the set S being the set of integer values taken by some k-tuple of polynomials with rational coefficients as the variables range through the integers. We also show…
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 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.
Given a $k$-variable Laurent polynomial $F$, any $l\times k$ integer matrix $A$ naturally defines an $l$-variable Laurent polynomial $F_A.$ I prove that for fixed $F$ the set $\mathcal M(F)$ of all the logarithmic Mahler measures $m(F_A)$ of $F_A$ for all $A$ is a closed subset of the real line. Moreover, the matrices $A$ can be assumed to be of a special form, which I call Primitive Hermite Normal Form. Furthermore, if $F$ has integer coefficients and $\mathcal M(F)$ contains $0,$ then $0$ is an isolated point of this set. I also show that, for a given bound $B>0$, the set ${\mathcal M}_B$ of…
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.
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…
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.
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…
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.
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.
We present another example of a 3-variable polynomial defining a K3-hypersurface and having a logarithmic Mahler measure expressed in terms of a Dirichlet L-series.
Let g be a nonconstant rational map from the projective line to itself that has degree greater than one and is defined over a number field. The map g gives rise to generalized Mahler measures for polynomials in one variable. We use diophantine approximation to show that the generalized Mahler measure of a polynomial F at a place v can be computed by averaging the log of the v-adic absolute value of F over the periodic points of g. This allows us to compute canonical heights of algebraic points via equidistribution on periodic points.
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.
