Some results on embedding of a line in 3-space (Q1178858)

Let \(K\) be an algebraically closed field and let \(\tau:\mathbb{A}^ 1_ K\hookrightarrow\mathbb{A}^ r_ K\) be the standard embedding given by \(\tau(t)=(t,0,\ldots,0)\). If \(\theta:\mathbb{A}^ 1_ K\hookrightarrow\mathbb{A}^ r_ K\) is another embedding, then we say that \(\theta\) is equivalent to \(\tau\) if there exists a \(K\)-automorphism \(\sigma\) of \(\mathbb{A}^ r_ K\) such that \(\sigma\theta=\tau\). The famous ``epimorphism theorem'' of \textit{S. S. Abhyankar} and \textit{T. Moh} [J. Reine Angew. Math. 276, 148-166 (1975; Zbl 0332.14004)] says that when \(\text{char} K=0\), any embedding of \(\mathbb{A}^ 1_ K\) in \(\mathbb{A}^ 2_ K\) is equivalent to \(\tau\). Moreover, this theorem is not valid when \(\text{char} K>0\) [\textit{M. Nagata}, ``On automorphism group of \(k(x,y)\)'', Lect. Math. 5 (1972; Zbl 0306.14001); p. 39]. -- Later, \textit{S. S. Abhyankar} [in Proc. Int. Symp. Algebraic Geometry, Kyoto 1977, 249-414 (1977; Zbl 0408.14010); conjecture 1, p. 413] conjectured that for \(r\geq 3\), there exist embeddings of \(\mathbb{A}^ 1_ K\) in \(\mathbb{A}^ r_ K\) which are not equivalent to the standard embedding \(\tau\) (when \(\text{char} K=0)\). \textit{Z. Jelonek} [Math. Ann. 277, 113-120 (1987; Zbl 0611.14010); theorem 1.1] showed that any embedding of \(\mathbb{A}^ 1_ K\) in \(\mathbb{A}^ r_ K\) is equivalent to \(\tau\) for \(r\geq 4\) when \(K=\mathbb{C}\). In fact, his proof is valid for an algebraically closed field \(K\) of any characteristic. Therefore, one is only interested in embeddings of \(\mathbb{A}^ 1_ K\) in \(\mathbb{A}^ 3_ K\). Conjecture A. Let \(\theta(t)=\bigl(f(t),g(t),h(t)\bigr):A^ 1_ K\hookrightarrow\mathbb{A}^ 3_ K\) be an embedding such that none of the integers \(\deg f\), \(\deg g\), and \(\deg h\) belongs to the semigroup generated by the other two. Then \(\theta\) is not equivalent to the standard embedding \(\tau:\tau(t)=(t,0,0)\). More specifically: Conjecture B. The embeddings \(\theta_ n(t)=(t+t^{n+2},t^{n+1},t^ n)\) of \(\mathbb{A}^ 1_ K\) in \(\mathbb{A}^ 3_ K\) are not equivalent to \(\tau\) for \(n\geq 3\). In this paper we prove (theorem 2.2) that if \(\text{char} K>0\), then \(\theta_ n\) is equivalent to \(\tau\) for all \(n\). This appears to be a little unusual considering the fact that the epimorphism theorem is false in positive characteristic. Moreover, when \(\text{char} K=0\), we show that the embedding \((t+t^ l,t^ m,t^ n)\) is equivalent to \(\tau\), where \(m\equiv 1\pmod n\), \(l\equiv -1\pmod n\) and \(l>n\). Note that \(\theta_ 3\) is a special case of an embedding of this type. -- Further, we also show that \(\theta_ 4\) is equivalent to \(\tau\).