Topology and geometry of the Berkovich ramification locus for rational functions. I (Q382234)

Let \(k\) be an algebraically closed field that is complete with respect to a non-trivial non-Archimedean absolute value. Let \(\mathbb{P}^1_{k}\) be the Berkovich projective line over \(k\). Recall that it is topologically a real tree. Let \(\varphi(z) \in k(z)\) be a nonconstant rational function. It induces a finite morphism \(\varphi : \mathbb{P}^1_{k} \to \mathbb{P}^1_{k}\). The paper under review provides a careful and thorough study of the ramification locus \(\mathcal{R}_{\varphi}\) of this morphism. Since the Berkovich space \(\mathbb{P}^1_{k}\) contains many points that are not \(k\)-rational, \(\mathcal{R}_{\varphi}\) is generally infinite and not easy to describe. The first main result of the paper deals with the connected components of \(\mathcal{R}_{\varphi}\). Faber proves that each of them contains at least two critical points of~\(\varphi\) (counted with weights). In particular, \(\mathcal{R}_{\varphi}\) has at most \(\mathrm{deg}(\varphi)-1\) connected components in total. This result is complemented by examples to show that it is indeed optimal. The second main result investigates the interior points of \(\mathcal{R}_{\varphi}\) (for the strong topology, {i.e.} the Berkovich topology, and the weak topology, {i.e.} the tree topology) and relates them to inseparability properties of the reduction of \(\varphi\). The third main result concerns the situation when a totally ramified point exists ({e.g.} in the polynomial case or the good reduction case). Faber proves that \(\mathcal{R}_{\varphi}\) is then connected and provides a condition under which it is the convex hull of the critical points of \(\varphi\). Let us now describe quickly the contents of the paper. Section 1 is the introduction and section 2 sets up the notation. In section 3, the multiplicity of \(\varphi\) at a point is defined, as well as the directional multiplicity, following mainly [\textit{M. Baker} and \textit{R. Rumely}, Potential theory and dynamics on the Berkovich projective line. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society (AMS) (2010; Zbl 1196.14002)]. If \(K\) is an extension of \(k\), we have a projection map \(\mathbb{P}^1_{K} \to \mathbb{P}^1_{k}\). In section 4, the author proves that it has a canonical section \(\iota_{k}^K\) and studies its properties. This is used in section 5 in order to define the notion of inseparable reduction at every point, thus extending Rivera-Letelier's definition which only handled the type II case. Section 6 contains the proof of the first main theorem. Section 7 investigates the interior points and the end-points of \(\mathcal{R}_{\varphi}\) and section 8 the locus of total ramification.Those last two sections also contain other results that relate \(\mathcal{R}_{\varphi}\) to the convex hull of the critical points of \(\varphi\).