Intégration sur un cycle évanescent (Q793101)

For f a formal power series in n indeterminates \(x_ 1,...,x_ n\) over a field \(k\), let \(I(f)\) be the diagonal power series \(\Sigma a_ i,...,i^{t^ i}\). The author proves that if f is an algebraic function of \(x_ 1,...,x_ n\) and that k is of characteristic \(p>0\), then \(I(f)\) is algebraic in t. Results of the same nature had been obtained by \textit{H. Furstenberg} [J. Algebra 7, 271-277 (1967; Zbl 0175.039)] and \textit{J. Denef} and \textit{L. Lipschitz} [''Some remarks on algebraic power series'' (preprint)] recently succeeded in extending Furstenberg's method to cover the case treated here. The aim of the present paper is to offer a geometric explanation of Furstenberg's results, in terms of what in substance should be p-adic properties of vanishing cycles. In an appendix, signs in the coherent duality formalism are discussed.