On the generalized Carlitz module (Q1937308)

A \textit{difference field \(({\mathcal K}, \tau)\)} is a field with a distinguished field endomorphism. Every difference field can be embedded in an \textit{inversive difference field}, that is, one such that the distinguished endomorphism is an automorphism. The \textit{field of constants} \({\mathcal K}^{\tau}\) of \({\mathcal K}\) is the subfield of elements \(c\) such that \(\tau(c)=c\). The \textit{field of periodic points \({\mathcal K}^{\text{per}}\)} of \({\mathcal K}\) is the subfield consisting of the elements \(c\) such that \(\tau^n(c)= c\) for some \(n\in{\mathbb N}\); this subfield is the algebraic closure of \({\mathcal K}^{\tau}\) in \({\mathcal K}\). The relevant difference fields considered in this paper are the following two: (1) \({\mathcal K}=F\), the field of meromorphic functions \(f: {\mathbb C}\to {\mathbb P}_1({\mathbb C})\), where \(\tau: F\to F\) is defined by \(\tau(f)(s):=f(s+1)\) for \(f\in F\). The couple \((F,\tau)\) is an inversive difference field. Here \(F^{\tau}\) is the subfield of periodic meromorphic functions and \(F^{\text{per}}\) is the subfield of meromorphic functions, which are periodic of integral period; (2) \({\mathcal K}={\mathbb C}_{\infty}\), the completion of an algebraic closure of the completion \(K_{\infty}\) of \(K={\mathbb F}_q (T)\) with respect to the infinite prime. The endomorphism \(\tau\) is the Frobenius automorphism \(\tau(c)=c^q\) for \(c\in{\mathbb C}_{ \infty}\). Then \(({\mathbb C}_{\infty},\tau)\) is an inversive difference field, the field of constants is \({\mathbb C}_{\infty}^{\tau}= {\mathbb F}_q\) and \({\mathbb C}_{\infty}^{\text{per}}={\mathbb F}_q^{ \text{ac}}\), the algebraic closure of \({\mathbb F}_q\) in \({\mathbb C}_{\infty}\). The objective of this paper is to gather formal similarities between the Euler gamma function \(\Gamma\) (see Example (1)) and the \textit{Anderson--Thakur} function \(\omega\) (see Example (2)). The author discusses these similarities in the framework of \textit{generalized Carlitz modules}. The different nature of the exponential functions associated to these structures is also discussed. To define a generalized Carlitz module, consider a difference field \(({\mathcal K},\tau)\) such that \({\mathcal K}\setminus {\mathcal K}^{\text{per}}\neq \emptyset\). Examples (1) and (2) satisfy this condition. Choose \(\vartheta\in{\mathcal K}\) transcendental over \({\mathcal K}^{\text{per}}\) and define inductively, for \(z\in {\mathcal K}\): \(E^{(\vartheta)}_0(z)=z\); \(E^{(\vartheta)}_k(z)= \frac{\tau(E_{k-1}^{(\vartheta)}(z))-E_{k-1}^{(\vartheta)}(z)} {\tau^k(\vartheta)-\vartheta}\) for \(k\geq 1\). Then the \textit{generalized Carlitz module} associated to \(({\mathcal K},\tau)\) and \(\vartheta\) is the injective \({\mathcal K}^{\tau}\)--algebra homomorphism \(\phi_{{\mathcal K},\tau,\vartheta}: {\mathcal K}\to {\mathcal K}[[\tau]]\) (the skew ring of formal series) defined, for \(z\in {\mathcal K}\), by \(\phi_{{\mathcal K},\tau,\vartheta}(z)=\sum_{k\geq 0}(-1)^k E_k^{ (\vartheta)}(z) \tau^k\). The exponential and the logarithm series are defined for generalized Carlitz modules. The gamma function \(\Gamma\) satisfies \(\Gamma(s+1)-s\Gamma(s)=0\) so \(\Gamma\) belongs to the \(F^{\tau}\)--vector space of \(s\)--torsion for the generalized Carlitz module \(\phi\) associated to the difference field \((F,\tau)\). In this way \(\Gamma\) is linked to Example (1). The Anderson--Thakur function \(\omega\) is the so called Akhiezer--Baker function \(\omega_{{\mathbb C}_{\infty},\tau,\vartheta, \Xi}\) associated to \(({\mathbb C}_{\infty},\tau,\vartheta)\) with \(|\vartheta|>1\). This gives the link between \(\omega\) and Example (2). The Anderson--Thakur function interpolates many torsion elements for the Carlitz module in the framework of Example (2) (Proposition 29) just as the gamma function does in the framework of Example (1) (Proposition 19).