Jacobian pairs. II (Q1181498)

[For part I see ibid. 72, No. 1, 39-51 (1991; Zbl 0747.13014).] This work concerns the Jacobian conjecture. Let \(k\) be an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero. A pair of polynomials \(f,g\in k[X,Y]\) is said to be a Jacobian pair if \({\partial f\over\partial X}{\partial g\over\partial Y}-{\partial f\over\partial Y}{\partial g\over\partial X}\) is a nonzero element of \(k\). The pair \(f,g\) is said to be an automorphic pair if \(k[f,g]=k[X,Y]\). The \(n=2\) case of the Jacobian conjecture states that each Jacobian pair is an automorphic pair. Given \(f=\sum\alpha_{ij}X^ iY^ j\in k[X,Y]\), \(\alpha_{ij}\in k\), the Newton polygon \(N(f)\) of \(f\) is the convex hull in \(\mathbb{R}^ 2\) of \(\{(i,j)|\alpha_{ij}\neq 0\}\cup\{(0,0)\}\). The main result of this paper is that the \(n=2\) case of the Jacobian conjecture is equivalent to the assertion that if \(f,g\) is a Jacobian pair, then the edge of the Newton polygon that is adjacent to the vertical axis has slope less than one.