A note on a refined version of Anderson-Brownawell-Papanikolas criterion (Q1011688)

Let \( \mathbb{F}_q \) be a finite field of \( q \) elements. Let \( k := \mathbb{F}_q( \theta ) \) be the rational function field over \( \mathbb{F}_q \) with variable \( \theta \). Let \( k_\infty \) be the \(\infty\)-adic completion of \( k \) (corresponding to the place \( \theta = \infty \)) and fix an algebraic closure \( \overline{k_\infty} \) of it. Denote by \( \mathbb{E} \) the subring of \( \overline{k_\infty}[[t]] \) consisting of those power series that have infinite radius of convergence and whose coefficients lie in a common finite extension of \( k_\infty \). So for every \( f \in \mathbb{E} \) and for every \( x \in \overline{k_\infty} \) the value \( f(x) \in \overline{k_\infty} \) of \(f\) at \( x \) is well-defined. The criterion of \textit{G. W. Anderson}, \textit{W. D. Brownawell} and \textit{M. A. Papanikolas} [``Determination of the algebraic relations among special \(\Gamma\)-values in positive characteristic'', Ann. Math. (2) 160, No. 1, 237--313 (2004; Zbl 1064.11055)] mentioned in the title is a theorem that gives conditions on \( f_1, \ldots, f_n \in \mathbb{E} \) that guarantee that every linear relation among the \( f_i(\theta) \in \overline{k_\infty}\) comes from a linear relation among the functions \( f_i \). We state the theorem here in a basis-free language. See the introduction of the present paper for a statement using matrices. Consider the map \[ \tau: \mathbb{E} \to \mathbb{E} : \sum_i a_i t^i \mapsto \sum_i a_i^q t^i. \] It is a ring endomorphism of \(\mathbb{E}\), and the ring of invariants is \( \mathbb{F}_q[t] \). It restricts to an endomorphism \( \tau: \overline{k}[t] \to \overline{k}[t] \). Let \(M\) be a free and finitely generated \(\overline{k}[t]\)-module, and let \[ M' := M \otimes_{\overline{k}[t],\tau} \overline{k}[t] \] be the pullback of M over \( \tau \). We give \( M' \) the structure of a \( \overline{k}[t] \)-module through the second factor in the tensor product. There is a canonical map \[ \tau : M \to M' : m \mapsto m \otimes 1, \] which is \(\mathbb{F}_q[t]\)-linear but not \( \overline{k}[t] \)-linear. Now let \( \sigma : M' \to M \) be a \(\overline{k}[t]\)-linear map whose co-kernel is annihilated by some power of \( t-\theta \in \overline{k}[t] \). (Depending on the definition used this essentially says that \( (M, \sigma) \) is a \(t\)-motive, see [\textit{Greg W. Anderson}, ``\(t\)-motives'', Duke Math. J. 53, 457--502 (1986; Zbl 0679.14001)]) Define \( \tilde{M} \) as follows: \[ \tilde{M} := M \otimes_{\overline{k}[t]} \mathbb{E}. \] Similarly one defines \( \tilde{M}' \), \( \tau : \tilde{M} \to \tilde{M}' \) and the map \( \sigma \) extends to a map \( \sigma : \tilde{M}' \to \tilde{M} \). Denote by \( \tilde{M'}^{\tau\sigma}\) the \( \mathbb{F}_q[t] \)-module of invariants under \( \tau\circ\sigma \). Theorem. (``ABP criterion'') The ``evaluation at \( t=\theta \)'' map \[ \tilde{M'}^{\tau\sigma} \to \tilde{M}'/(t-\theta)\tilde{M}' \] is injective. This gives a criterion for linear independence between specializations of invariant functions in \( \tilde{M}' \). But one can obtain algebraic independence results by applying the theorem not only to \( M\) but also to its tensor powers. See [\textit{M. A. Papanikolas}, ``Tannakian duality for Anderson-Drinfeld motives and algebraic independence of Carlitz logarithms'', Invent. Math. 171, No. 1, 123--174 (2008; Zbl 1235.11074)] for the ultimate transcendence result based on this. The present paper gives weaker conditions under which the above theorem, and its consequences regarding algebraic independence, remain valid. Namely: (1) specializations at an arbitrary non-constant \( \xi \in \overline{k} \) are considered, (2) the condition that \( \mathrm{coker}(\sigma) \) is annihilated by some power of \( t-\theta \) is replaced by the condition that for all \( i \) positive, \( t-\xi^{q^{-i}} \) is invertible on \( \mathrm{coker}(\sigma) \). This refined theorem is applied in a preprint of \textit{M. A. Papanikolas}, \textit{J. Yu} and the author of the present paper, see [``Frobenius difference equations and algebraic independence of zeta values in positive equal characteristic'', \url{http://arxiv.org/abs/0804.0038}].