English

On a Question of Craven and a Theorem of Belyi

Number Theory 2007-05-23 v3

Abstract

In this elementary note we prove that a polynomial with rational coefficients divides the derivative of some polynomial which splits in \Q\Q if and only if all of its irrational roots are real and simple. This provides an answer to a question posed by Thomas Craven. Similar ideas also lead to a variation of the proof of Belyi's theorem that every algebraic curve defined over an algebraic number field admits a map to P1P^1 which is only ramified above three points. As it turned out, this variation was noticed previously by G. Belyi himself and Leonardo Zapponi.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.math/0205266,
  title  = {On a Question of Craven and a Theorem of Belyi},
  author = {Alexandr Borisov},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:math/0205266},
  year   = {2007}
}

Comments

Main theorem was generalized to include reducible polynomials. To appear in Proceedings of AMS