Mahler measures in a cubic field

We prove that every cyclic cubic extension E of the field of rational numbers contains algebraic numbers which are Mahler measures but not the Mahler measures of algebraic numbers lying in E. This extends the result of Schinzel who proved the same statement for every real quadratic field E. A corresponding conjecture is made for an arbitrary non-totally complex field E and some numerical examples are given. We also show that every natural power of a Mahler measure is a Mahler measure.     

Mahler measures in a field are dense modulo 1

Let K be a number field. We prove that the set of Mahler measures M(α), where α runs over every element of K, modulo 1 is everywhere dense in [0, 1], except when or , where D is a positive integer. In the proof, we use a certain sequence of shifted Pisot numbers (or complex Pisot numbers) in K and show that the corresponding sequence of their Mahler measures modulo 1 is uniformly distributed in [0, 1]. Received: 24 March 2006     

Littlewood Pisot numbers

A Pisot number is a real algebraic integer, all of whose conjugates lie strictly inside the open unit disk; a Salem number is a real algebraic integer, all of whose conjugate roots are inside the closed unit disk, with at least one of them of modulus exactly 1. Pisot numbers have been studied extensively, and an algorithm to generate them is well known. Our main result characterises all Pisot numbers whose minimal polynomial is a Littlewood polynomial, one with {+1,-1}-coefficients, and shows that they form an increasing sequence with limit 2. It is known that every Pisot number is a limit point, from both sides, of sequences of Salem numbers. We show that this remains true, from at least one side, for the restricted sets of Pisot and Salem numbers that are generated by Littlewood polynomials. Finally, we prove that every reciprocal Littlewood polynomial of odd degree n?3 has at least three unimodular roots.     

An <Emphasis Type="Italic">ABC</Emphasis> inequality for Mahler’s measure

We prove an upper bound for the Mahler measure of the Wronskian of a collection of N linearly independent polynomials with complex coefficients. If the coefficients of the polynomials are algebraic numbers we obtain an inequality for the absolute Weil heights of the roots of the polynomials. This later inequality is analogous to the abc inequality for polynomials, and also has applications to Diophantine problems. Research supported in part by the National Science Foundation (DMS-06-03282) and the Erwin Schr?dinger Institute. Author’s address: Department of Mathematics, University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712, USA     

On the non-Archimedean metric Mahler measure

Recently, Dubickas and Smyth constructed and examined the metric Mahler measure and the metric naïve height on the multiplicative group of algebraic numbers. We give a non-Archimedean version of the metric Mahler measure, denoted M_∞, and prove that M_∞(α)=1 if and only if α is a root of unity. We further show that M_∞ defines a projective height on as a vector space over Q. Finally, we demonstrate how to compute M_∞(α) when α is a surd.     

The Remak height for units

We investigate the values of the Remak height, which is a weighted product of the conjugates of an algebraic number. We prove that the ratio of logarithms of the Remak height and of the Mahler measure for units αof degree d is everywhere dense in the maximal interval [d/2(d-1),1] allowed for this ratio. To do this, a “large” set of totally positive Pisot units is constructed. We also give a lower bound on the Remak height for non-cyclotomic algebraic numbers in terms of their degrees. In passing, we prove some results about some algebraic numbers which are a product of two conjugates of a reciprocal algebraic number. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Irreducible algebraic integers in short intervals

We study distribution of irreducible algebraic integers in short intervals and prove that if the class number of an algebraic number field K exceeds 2, every interval of the form (x, x + x ^θ) with a fixed θ > 1/2 contains absolute value of the norm of an irreducible algebraic integer from K provided x ≥ x ₀. The constant x ₀ effectively depends on K and θ. The author was supported in part by the grant no. N N201 1482 33 from the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education.     

Multiplicative relations with conjugate algebraic numbers

We study what algebraic numbers can be represented by a product of algebraic numbers conjugate over a fixed number field K in fixed integer powers. The problem is nontrivial if the sum of these integer powers is equal to zero. The norm of such a number over K must be a root of unity. We show that there are infinitely many algebraic numbers whose norm over K is a root of unity and which cannot be represented by such a product. Conversely, every algebraic number can be expressed by every sufficiently long product in algebraic numbers conjugate over K. We also construct nonsymmetric algebraic numbers, i.e., algebraic numbers such that no elements of the corresponding Galois group acting on the full set of their conjugates form a Latin square. Published in Ukrains’kyi Matematychnyi Zhurnal, Vol. 59, No. 7, pp. 890–900, July, 2007.     

An arithmetical property of powers of Salem numbers

Let ζ be a nonzero real number and let α be a Salem number. We show that the difference between the largest and smallest limit points of the fractional parts of the numbers ζαn, when n runs through the set of positive rational integers, can be bounded below by a positive constant depending only on α if and only if the algebraic integer α−1 is a unit.     

Norms extremal with respect to the Mahler measure

In this paper, we introduce and study several 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 show that bounding these norms on a certain subspace implies Lehmer?s conjecture and in at least one case that the converse is true as well. We evaluate these norms on a class of algebraic numbers that include Pisot and Salem numbers, and for surds. We prove that the infimum in the construction is achieved in a certain finite dimensional space for all algebraic numbers in one case, and for surds in general, a finiteness result analogous to that of Samuels and Jankauskas for the t-metric Mahler measures.     

The class number one problem for some totally complex quartic number fields

We prove that there are 95 non-isomorphic totally complex quartic fields whose rings of algebraic integers are generated by an algebraic unit and whose class numbers are equal to 1. Moreover, we prove Louboutin's Conjecture according to which a totally complex quartic unit εu generally generates the unit group of the quartic order Z[εu].     

Torsion subgroups of Brauer groups and extensions of constant local degree for global function fields

We show that, for all characteristic p global fields k and natural numbers n coprime to the order of the non-p-part of the Picard group Pic⁰(k) of k, there exists an abelian extension L/k whose local degree at every prime of k is equal to n. This answers in the affirmative in this context a question recently posed by Kisilevsky and Sonn. As a consequence, we show that, for all n and k as above, the n-torsion subgroup Br_n(k) of the Brauer group Br(k) of k is algebraic, answering a question of Aldjaeff and Sonn in this context.     

On Sums of Units

It is shown that if R is a finitely generated integral domain of zero characteristic, then for every n there exist elements of R which are not sums of at most n units. This applies in particular to rings of integers in finite extensions of the rationals. On the other hand there are many infinite algebraic extensions of the rationals in which every integer is a sum of two units.     

Conjectures de Greenberg et extensions¶pro-p-libres d'un corps de nombres

For an algebraic number field k and a prime number p (if p=2, we assume that μ₄⊂k), we study the maximal rank ρ _p of a free pro-p-extension of k. This problem is related to deep conjectures of Greenberg in Iwasawa theory. We give different equivalent formulations of these conjectures and we apply them to show that, essentially, ρ _k =r ₂(k)+1 if and only if k is a so-called p-rational field. Received: 29 April 1999 / Revised version: 31 January 2000     

An ABC inequality for Mahler’s measure

We prove an upper bound for the Mahler measure of the Wronskian of a collection of N linearly independent polynomials with complex coefficients. If the coefficients of the polynomials are algebraic numbers we obtain an inequality for the absolute Weil heights of the roots of the polynomials. This later inequality is analogous to the abc inequality for polynomials, and also has applications to Diophantine problems.     

The parametrized family of metric Mahler measures

Let M(α) denote the (logarithmic) Mahler measure of the algebraic number α. Dubickas and Smyth, and later Fili and the author, examined metric versions of M. The author generalized these constructions in order to associate, to each point in t∈(0,∞], a metric version Mt of the Mahler measure, each having a triangle inequality of a different strength. We further examine the functions Mt, using them to present an equivalent form of Lehmer?s conjecture. We show that the function t?Mtt(α) is constructed piecewise from certain sums of exponential functions. We pose a conjecture that, if true, enables us to graph t?Mt(α) for rational α.     

Additive Hilbert's Theorem 90 in the ring of algebraic integers

For a number field K, we give a complete characterization of algebraic numbers which can be expressed by a difference of two K-conjugate algebraic integers. These turn out to be the algebraic integers whose Galois group contains an element, acting as a cycle on some collection of conjugates which sum to zero. Hence there are no algebraic integers which can be written as a difference of two conjugate algebraic numbers but cannot be written as a difference of two conjugate algebraic integers. A generalization of the construction to a commutative ring is also given. Furthermore, we show that for n ?_ 3 there exist algebraic integers which can be written as a linear form in n K-conjugate algebraic numbers but cannot be written by the same linear form in K-conjugate algebraic integers.     

Certain Diophantine Properties of the Mahler Measure

It is proved that a polynomial in several Mahler measures with positive rational coefficients is equal to an integer if and only if all these Mahler measures are integers. An estimate for the distance between a metric Mahler measure and an integer is obtained. Finally, it is proved that the ratio of two distinct Mahler measures of algebraic units is irrational.     

On integer and fractional parts of powers of Salem numbers

Let N be a positive rational integer and let P be the set of powers of a Salem number of degree d. We prove that for any α∈P the fractional parts of the numbers , when n runs through the set of positive rational integers, are dense in the unit interval if and only if N≦ 2d − 4. We also show that for any α∈P the integer parts of the numbers αⁿ are divisible by N for infinitely many n if and only if N≦ 2d − 3. Received: 27 April 2005     

Squares of Primes and Powers of 2

 As an extension of the Linnik-Gallagher results on the “almost Goldbach” problem, we prove, among other things, that there exists a positive integer k ₀ such that every large even integer is a sum of four squares of primes and k ₀ powers of 2. (Received 7 September 1998; in revised form 3 May 1999)