The Mahler measure for \(K3\) hypersurfaces (Q1011459)

The logarithmic Mahler measure of a multivariable Laurent polynomial \(P \in \mathbb{C}[x_1^\pm,\dots,x_n^\pm]\) is defined by \[ m(P)=1/(2\pi i)^n \int_{\mathbb{T}^n}\log |P(x_1, \dots, x_n)| \,(dx_1/x_1)\cdots (dx_n/x_n), \] where \(\mathbb{T}^n\) denotes the \(n\)-dimensional torus in \(\mathbb{C}^n\). In this paper, the author considers the Mahler measures of two families of polynomials that correspond to modular \(K3\) surfaces of Picard number 19. Here we will describe the results she obtains for the first of these families, namely \(P_k = x+1/x+y+1/y+z+1/z-k\). She also obtains corresponding results for a second family \(Q_k\). The first identity is a \(q\)-series expansion for \(m(P_k)\) where \(q\) and \(k\) are related by \(k = t+1/t\) and \(t = (\eta(\tau)\eta(6\tau)\eta(2\tau)^{-1}\eta(3\tau)^{-1})^6 = q^{1/2} - 6q^{3/2} + \dots\), where, as usual, \(q = \exp(2\pi i \tau)\) and \(\eta\) is the Dedekind eta-function. From this expansion, she obtains a Kronecker-Eisenstein series for \(m(P_k)\). For certain quadratic irrational \(\tau\), the \(K3\) surface \(P_k = 0\) is singular (has Picard number 20), and in some of these cases, the author is able to express \(m(P_k)\) in terms of special values of Hecke \(L\)-series. For example \(m(P_3) = 15\sqrt{15}/(2\pi^2) L_{\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt{-15})}(\phi,3)\), where \(\phi\) is a Hecke Grössencharacter. The author is also able to prove some identities between Mahler measures that were conjectured by the reviewer from computations based on the author's identities. For example, \(m(Q_{12})=4m(Q_0)\).