Arithmeticity of certain symplectic hypergeometric groups (Q2444655)

Consider a hypergeometric function \(_ nF_{n-1}\). It satisfies the equation \(Du=0\), where \(D\) is the differential operator \[ D= (\theta+\beta_1-1) \dots (\theta+\beta_n-1) -z(\theta+\alpha_1) \dots (\theta+\alpha_n) , \] where \(\theta=z\frac{d}{dz}\) and \(\alpha_i\) and \(\beta_i\) are parameters of the hypergeometric function. This equation has the singular points \(0,1,\infty\). The monodromy matrices in some base of the solutions of this equation can be calculated explicitly. The hypergeometric group \(\Gamma\) is the group generated by these monodromy matrices. In [\textit{F. Beukers} and \textit{G. Heckman}, Invent. Math. 95, No. 2, 325--354 (1989; Zbl 0663.30044)] several questions about this group were investigated. Conditions were found under which this group is finite or discrete, under which the Zariski closure of the monodromy group is the whole group \(\mathrm{GL}_n(\mathbb{C})\). The group \(\Gamma\) is arithmetic if \(G\) is a subgroup in \(\mathrm{GL}_n(\mathbb{Z})\) and it is a subgroup of finite index in \(G\), where \(G\) is the Zariski closure of \(\Gamma\) in \(\mathrm{GL}_n(\mathbb{Z})\). Associate with the hypergeometric function the polynomials \[ f=\Pi_{j=1}^n (X-e^{2\pi I \alpha_j})\quad g=\Pi_{j=1}^n (X-e^{2\pi I \beta_j}). \] The main result of the paper under review is the following. Let \(n\geq 4\). Let \(f,g\) be monic of degree \(n\) with integral coefficients, let them do not have common roots and be self reciprocal and let \(f(0)=g(0)=1\). Let the leading coefficient \(c\) of \(h=f-g\) satisfy \(|c|\leq 2\). Then the corresponding subgroup \(\Gamma\) is arithmetic.