Hilbert's 13th Problem for Algebraic Groups

Abstract: The algebraic form of Hilbert's 13th Problem asks for the resolvent degree

e x t r d (n)

of the general polynomial

f (x) = x^{n} + a_{1} x^{n - 1} + l d o t s + a_{n}

of degree

n

, where

a_{1}, l d o t s, a_{n}

are independent variables. The resolvent degree is the minimal integer

d

such that every root of

f (x)

can be obtained in a finite number of steps, starting with

m a t h b b C (a_{1}, l d o t s, a_{n})

and adjoining algebraic functions in

l e q d

variables at each step. Recently Farb and Wolfson defined the resolvent degree

e x t {r d}_{k} (G)

of any finite group

G

and any base field

k

of characteristic

0

. In this setting

e x t r d (n) = e x t {r d}_{m a t h b b C} (S_{n})

, where

S_{n}

denotes the symmetric group. In this paper we define

e x t {r d}_{k} (G)

for every algebraic group

G

over an arbitrary field

k

, investigate the dependency of this quantity on

k

and show that

e x t {r d}_{k} (G) l e q 5

for any field

k

and any connected group

G

. The question of whether

e x t {r d}_{k} (G)

can be bigger than

1

for any field

k

and any algebraic group

G

over

k

(not necessarily connected) remains open.

This page was built for publication: Hilbert's 13th Problem for Algebraic Groups