Related papers: The relative Schinzel hypothesis
We consider the theory of algebraically closed fields of characteristic zero with multivalued operations $x\mapsto x^r$ (raising to powers). It is in fact the theory of equations in exponential sums. In an earlier paper we have described…
This paper investigates whether or not polynomials that are irreducible over $\mathbb{Q}$ and $\mathbb{Z}$ can remain irreducible under substitution by all quadratic polynomials. It answers this question in the negative in the degree 2 and…
For a degree $n$ polynomial $f$ over the rationals, the elements in the fiber $f^{-1}(a)$ are of degree $n$ over $\mathbb Q$ for most rational values $a$ by Hilbert's irreducibility theorem. Determining the set of exceptional $a$'s without…
Let $f(t_1, \ldots, t_r, X)\in \mathbb{Z}[t_1, \ldots, t_r,X]$ be irreducible and let $a_1, \ldots, a_r\in \mathbb{Z} \smallsetminus \{0,\pm 1\}$. Under a necessary ramification assumption on $f$, and conditionally on the Generalized…
A famous conjecture of Erd\H os and Straus is that for every integer $n\ge2$, $4/n$ can be represented as $1/x+1/y+1/z$, where $x,y,z$ are positive integers. This conjecture was generalized to $5/n$ by Sierpi\'nski, and then Schinzel…
We determine the number of positive integral points on $n$-dimensional affine varieties associated to arbitrary $n \times n$ generalized Cartan matrices. An application to the theory of cluster algebras and combinatorics is the resolution…
We prove a quantitative version of Hilbert's irreducibility theorem for function fields: If $f(T_1,\ldots, T_n,X)$ is an irreducible polynomial over the field of rational functions over a finite field $\mathbb{F}_q$ of characteristic $p$,…
Given a polynomial P in several variables over an algebraically closed field, we show that except in some special cases that we fully describe, if one coefficient is allowed to vary, then the polynomial is irreducible for all but at most…
In the late 1980s, A. Premet conjectured that the variety of nilpotent elements of any finite dimensional restricted Lie algebra over an algebraically closed field of characteristic $p>0$ is irreducible. This conjecture remains open, but it…
Pilz's conjecture states that for any finite set $A=\{a_1,a_2,\dots,a_k\}$ of positive integers and positive integer $n$ in the union of the sets $\{a_1,2a_1,\dots,na_1\},\dots, \{a_k,2a_k,\dots,na_k\}$ (considered as a multiset) at least…
We improve Irving's method of the double-sieve by using the DHR sieve. By extending the upper and lower sieve functions into their respective non-elementary ranges, we are able to make improvements on the previous records on the number of…
For a class of polynomials $f \in \mathbb{Z}[X]$, which in particular includes all quadratic polynomials, and also trinomials of some special form, we show that, under some natural conditions (necessary for quadratic polynomials), the set…
Given a separable nonconstant polynomial $f(x)$ with integer coefficients, we consider the set $S$ consisting of the squarefree parts of all the rational values of $f(x)$, and study its behavior modulo primes. Fixing a prime $p$, we…
In this paper we present an unexpected link between the Factorial Conjecture and Furter's Rigidity Conjecture. The Factorial Conjecture in dimension $m$ asserts that if a polynomial $f$ in $m$ variables $X_i$ over $\C$ is such that ${\cal…
The aim of this paper is to discuss the notion of Wieferich primes in the context of Drinfeld modules. Our main result is a surprising connection between the proprety of a monic irreducible polynomial $\mathfrak p$ to be Wieferich and the…
In this article, we give two different sufficient conditions for the irreducibility of a polynomial of more than one variable, over the field of complex numbers, that can be written as a sum of two polynomials which depend on mutually…
We consider absolutely irreducible polynomials $f \in Z[x,y]$ with $\deg_x(f)=m$, $\deg_y(f)=n$ and height $H$. We show that for any prime $p$ with $p>c_{mn} H^{2mn+n-1}$ the reduction $f \bmod p$ is also absolutely irreducible. Furthermore…
We establish upper bounds on the size of the largest subset of $\{1,2,\dots,N\}$ lacking nonzero differences of the form $h(p_1,\dots,p_{\ell})$, where $h\in \mathbb{Z}[x_1,\dots,x_{\ell}]$ is a fixed polynomial satisfying appropriate…
Let $ K $ be a number field, $ S $ a finite set of places of $ K $, and $ \mathcal{O}_S $ be the ring of $ S $-integers. Moreover, let $$ G_n^{(0)} Z^d + \cdots + G_n^{(d-1)} Z + G_n^{(d)} $$ be a polynomial in $ Z $ having simple linear…
H. Lenstra has pointed out that a cubic polynomial of the form (x-a)(x-b)(x-c) + r(x-d)(x-e), where {a,b,c,d,e} is some permutation of {0,1,2,3,4}, is irreducible modulo 5 because every possible linear factor divides one summand but not the…