English

Ax's theorem with an additive character

Logic 2021-04-13 v3

Abstract

Motivated by Emmanuel Kowalski's exponential sums over definable sets in finite fields, we generalize Ax's theorem on pseudo-finite fields to a continuous-logic setting allowing for an additive character. The role played by Weil's Riemann hypothesis for curves over finite fields is taken by the `Weil bound' on exponential sums. Subsequent model-theoretic developments, including simplicity and the Chatzidakis-Van den Dries-Macintyre definable measures, also generalize. Analytically, we have the following consequence: consider the algebra of functions \Ffpn\Cc\Ff_p^n \to \Cc obtained from the additive characters and the characteristic functions of subvarieties by pre- or post-composing with polynomials, applying min and sup operators to the real part, and averaging over subvarieties. Then any element of this class can be approximated, uniformly in the variables and in the prime pp, by a polynomial expression in Ψp(ξ)\Psi_p(\xi) at certain algebraic functions ξ\xi of the variables, where Ψ(nmodp)=exp(2πin/p)\Psi(n \mod p) = exp(2 \pi i n/p) is the standard additive character.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1911.01096,
  title  = {Ax's theorem with an additive character},
  author = {Ehud Hrushovski},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1911.01096},
  year   = {2021}
}

Comments

Version 3: various local changes, with some material reorganized for clarity. The main mathematical difference is in section 5, where the connection to Duke-Friedlander-Iwaniec is considerably tightened

R2 v1 2026-06-23T12:03:48.048Z