Hypertranscendence of solutions of Mahler equations (Q1784000)

General criteria are proved for the algebraic independence of Mahler functions and their derivatives. The authors give concrete examples for illustrating their criteria, an example of which is the following. Let \(f_{\mathrm BS}\) and \(f_{\mathrm RS}\) be the generating functions of the Baum-Sweet and Rudin-Shapiro sequences. Then the series \(f_{\mathrm BS}(z)\), \(f_{\mathrm BS}(z^2)\), \(f_{\mathrm RS}(z)\), \(f_{\mathrm RS}(-z)\) and all their derivatives are algebraically independent over \({\mathbb{C}}(z)\). The proofs rely on the parametrized difference Galois theory developped by \textit{C. Hardouin} and \textit{M. F. Singer} [Math. Ann. 342, No. 2, 333--377 (2008; Zbl 1163.12002)] and involve an unpublished contribution by M.~Singer where he proved the hypertranscendence of the Mahler series \(\sum_{n\ge 0} z^{p^n}\). Let us quote the following so-called user friendly hypertranscendence criterion. Let \(p\ge 2\), let \({\mathbb{K}}=\bigcup_{j\ge 1}{\mathbb{C}}(z^{1/j})\) be endowed with the structure of \(\phi\)-field given by \(\phi(f(z)):=f(z^p)\), let \(\delta\) be the derivation \(\delta=z\log(z)\frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{d}z}\) over \({\mathbb{K}}(\log z)\), let \(\widehat{\mathbb{C}}\) be a differential closure of \(({\mathbb{C}},\delta)\) and let \({\mathbb{L}}=\bigcup_{j\ge 1}\widehat{\mathbb{C}}(z^{1/j})(\log(z))\). Consider a Mahler system \((\star)\, \phi(Y)=AY\) with \(A\in{\mathrm{GL}}_n({\mathbb{C}}(z))\). Assume that the difference Galois group of the Mahler system \((\star)\) over the \(\phi\)--field \({\mathbb{K}}\) contains \({\mathrm{SL}}_n({\mathbb{C}})\) and that \({\mathrm{det}} A(z)\) is a monomial. Then the following properties hold. (i) The parametrized difference Galois group of the Mahler system \((\star)\) over \({\mathbb{L}}\) is a subgroup of \({\mathbb{C}}^\times{\mathrm{SL}}_n(\widehat{\mathbb{C}})\) containing \({\mathrm{SL}}_n(\widehat{\mathbb{C}})\). (ii) Let \(u=(u_1,\dots,u_n)^t\) be a nonzero solution of \((\star)\) with entries in \({\mathbb{C}}((z))\). Then the series \(u_1,\dots,u_n\) and all their derivatives are algebraically independent over \({\mathbb{C}}(z)\). In particular, any \(u_i\) is hypertranscendental over \({\mathbb{C}}(z)\).