Transcendence and Drinfeld modules: Several variables (Q1262899)

This paper continues the author's seminal study of the transcendence properties of Drinfeld modules and t-modules (i.e., G. Anderson's higher dimensional - in the sense of replacing \(G_ a\) with \(G^ d_ a\)- analog of Drinfeld modules). Let k be a function field over the finite field \(F_ q\) with \(\infty\) a fixed prime of k. As is standard, we let A be the affine ring of those functions regular away from \(\infty\). Let \(\phi\) be a Drinfeld module over a finite extension of k and let L be the period lattice (i.e., the kernel of the exponential function of \(\phi)\). Finally, let \(K_ L\) be the field of multiplications of L (i.e., of \(\phi)\). The first major result of the author is the following: Theorem: Let \(\alpha_ 1,...,\alpha_ n\) be elements which take on algebraic values under the exponential of \(\phi\). Assume that \(\alpha_ 1,...,\alpha_ n\) are linearly independent over \(K_ L\). Then any linear combination of \(\alpha_ 1,...,\alpha_ n\) with coefficients not all zero from the separable closure, \(K^ s_ L\), is transcendental over k. Next the author discusses transcendence properties of ``Hilbert- Blumenthal-Drinfeld'' modules. These objects, which are built out of t- modules, are (naturally!) the function field analog of Hilbert-Blumenthal abelian varieties; they have sufficiently many ``real'' endomorphisms. The author establishes that if a H-B-D-module is defined over a finite extension of k, then its non-zero periods (in the sense of Anderson) have transcendental coordinates.