Counting exceptional points for rational numbers associated to the Fibonacci sequence

DOI10.1007/S10998-017-0189-9MaRDI QIDQ1705828zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Charles L. Samuels

Publication date 16 March 2018

Published in Periodica Mathematica Hungarica (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1607.02081

zbMATH Keywords

Fibonacci numbersMahler measuremetric Mahler measure

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Fibonacci and Lucas numbers and polynomials and generalizations (11B39) PV-numbers and generalizations; other special algebraic numbers; Mahler measure (11R06)

Abstract: If $alpha$ is a non-zero algebraic number, we let $m(alpha)$ denote the Mahler measure of the minimal polynomial of $alpha$ over $mathbbZ$. A series of articles by Dubickas and Smyth, and later by the author, develop a modified version of the Mahler measure called the $t$-metric Mahler measure, denoted $m_t(alpha)$. For fixed $$, the map $tmapsto{m}_t(alpha)$ is continuous, and moreover, is infinitely differentiable at all but finitely many points, called {it exceptional points} for $alpha$. It remains open to determine whether there is a sequence of elements $$ such that the number of exceptional points for $alph{a}_n$ tends to $infty$ as $noinfty$. We utilize a connection with the Fibonacci sequence to formulate a conjecture on the $t$-metric Mahler measures. If the conjecture is true, we prove that it is best possible and that it implies the the existence of rational numbers with as many exceptional points as we like. Finally, with some computational assistance, we resolve various special cases of the conjecture that constitute improvements to earlier results.

Review text

Let \(m_t(\alpha)\) be the \(t\)-metric Mahler measure of an algebraic number \(\alpha\), that is, \[ \inf \Big(\sum_{n=1}^N m(\alpha_n)^t\Big)^{1/t}, \] where \(m(\beta)\) stands for the logarithmic Mahler measure of \(\beta \in \overline{{\mathbb Q}}\), and the infimum is taken over all \(N \in {\mathbb N}\) and all possible representations of \(\alpha\) by the product of algebraic numbers \(\alpha_1 \dots \alpha_N\). It is known that the infimum is always attained and the infimum attaining points may be chosen from a finite set which is independent of \(t\). In this paper, the author calls a positive real number \(t\) standard for \(\alpha\) if there exist some \(\alpha_1, \dots, \alpha_N\) whose product is \(\alpha\) and an open neighborhood \(U\) of \(t\) such that \(m_t(\alpha)\) is attained at the same set \(\alpha_1,\dots,\alpha_N\). Otherwise, \(t\) is called exceptional for \(\alpha\). Since every algebraic number has only finitely many exceptional points, the author considers the following question: for every integer \(k \geq 0\) does there exist an algebraic number \(\alpha\) having \(k\) exceptional points? In order to approach this problem the author studies \(\alpha\) of the form \(p^{h_n}q^{-h_{n-1}}\), where \(p, q\) are primes and \((h_j)_{j=0}^{\infty}\) is the Fibonacci sequence. It is known that all Pisot numbers are beta numbers, but for Salem numbers this is proved only for degree \(4\). In this note, the author describes several types of Pisot numbers that are limits of Salem numbers which are all beta numbers. For example, this is shown for quadratic Pisot numbers with minimal polynomial \(x^2-ax-b\), where \(a \geq b \geq 1\), or \(-\lfloor a/2\rfloor \leq b \leq -1\). In the cubic case, the author shows that every cubic Pisot unit with the so-called finiteness property is a limit of a sequence of Salem numbers which are beta numbers. Some particular case of Pisot numbers of degree \(\geq 4\) having the same property are also considered.

Recommendations

• A polynomial time test to detect numbers with many exceptional points
• Mahler measures of Pisot and Salem type numbers
• The t-metric Mahler measures of surds and rational numbers
• Metric Mahler measures over number fields
• Beta expansion of Salem numbers approaching Pisot numbers with the finiteness property

Cites work

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Cited in

(3)

• Metric Mahler measures over number fields
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 7137857 (Why is no real title available?)
• A polynomial time test to detect numbers with many exceptional points

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