Algebraic independence and products of Drinfeld modules (Q1359158)

Denote by \(k\) the function field of a smooth projective curve \(C\) over the finite field \(\mathbb F_q\), by \(\overline k_\infty\) the algebraic closure of the completion of \(k\) with respect to the valuation given by the order of the pole at a fixed closed point of \(C\), by \(G_1,\ldots,G_k\) non-trivial and non-isogenous Drinfeld modules of rank \(\leq d\) defined over the algebraic closure \(\overline k\) of \(k\) in \(\overline k_\infty\), by \(e_1,\ldots,e_k\) the associated exponential functions and by \(\Lambda_1,\ldots,\Lambda_k\) the corresponding lattices in \(\overline k_\infty\). Further, let \(u_1,\ldots,u_\ell\) be \(k\)-linearly independent elements of \(\overline k_\infty\) and \(u_1,\ldots,u_b\) non-zero elements of \(\overline k_\infty\). (1) If \(\ell b>\ell+bd\), then at least two of the \(\ell b+\ell+b\) values \(u_j\), \(v_i\), \(e_i(v_iu_j)\) \((1\leq i\leq b\), \(1\leq j\leq\ell)\) are algebraically independent over \(\overline k\). (2) If \(\ell b\geq \ell+2bd\), then at least two of the \(\ell b+\ell\) values \(u_j\), \(e_i(v_iu_j)\) \((1\leq i\leq b\), \(1\leq j\leq\ell)\) are algebraically independent over \(\overline k\). (3) Assume \((1/v_i)\Lambda_i\cap(1/v_j)\Lambda_j=\{0\}\) for \(i\not=j\). If \(\ell b\geq 2\ell+bd\), then at least two of the \(\ell b+b\) values \(v_i\), \(e_i(v_iu_j)\) \((1\leq i\leq b\), \(1\leq j\leq\ell)\) are algebraically independent over \(\overline k\). (4) Under the same assumption as in (3) on \((1/v_i)\Lambda_i\), if \(\ell b\geq 2\ell+2bd\), then at least two of the \(\ell b\) values \(e_i(v_iu_j)\) \((1\leq i\leq b\), \(1\leq j\leq\ell)\) are algebraically independent over \(\overline k\). One expects that the extra assumption in (3) and (4) is unnecessary.