Certain sets over function fields are polynomial families

Publication date 23 February 2018

Abstract: In 1938, Skolem conjectured that

m a t h b f {S L}_{n} (m a t h b b Z)

is not a polynomial family for any

n g e 2

. Carter and Keller disproved Skolem's conjecture for all

n g e 3

by proving that

m a t h b f {S L}_{n} (m a t h b b Z)

is boundedly generated by the elementary matrices, and hence a polynomial family for any

n g e 3

. Only recently, Vaserstein refuted Skolem's conjecture completely by showing that

m a t h b f {S L}_{2} (m a t h b b Z)

is a polynomial family. An immediate consequence of Vaserstein's theorem also implies that

m a t h b f {S L}_{n} (m a t h b b Z)

is a polynomial family for any

n g e 3

. In this paper, we prove a function field analogue of Vaserstein's theorem: that is, if

m a t h b f A

is the ring of polynomials over a finite field of odd characteristic, then

m a t h b f {S L}_{2} (m a t h b f A)

is a polynomial family in 52 variables. A consequence of our main result also implies that

m a t h b f {S L}_{n} (m a t h b f A)

is a polynomial family for any

n g e 3

.

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