On the algebraic independence in the Selberg class (Q1865722)

It is expected that different primitive functions in the Selberg class \(S\) are algebraically independent (see the survey [\textit{J. Kaczorowski} and \textit{A. Perelli}: The Selberg class: a survey. Number theory in progress, Vol. 2 (Zakopane-Kościelisko, 1997), 953--992 (de Gruyter, Berlin)(1999; Zbl 0929.11028)] for the basic definitions and results concerning the Selberg class). It is known that this is the case under the Selberg orthonormality conjecture. In particular, equality of type \(F^a = G^b\), where \(F,G\in S\) and \(a,b\in\mathbb N\) are coprime, imply \(F = G^a\) and \(G = F^b\). The aim of the present author is to show this fact unconditionally. The main result gives characterization of pure powers in \(S\) in terms of multiplicities of their zeros and these of their local factors, and is of independent interest. As a consequence one gets a solution of the mentioned above \(F^a= G^b\) problem and also another interesting implication: if \(F\) and \(G\) are primitive in \(S\), then the transcendence degree of \(\mathbb C[F, G]\) over \(\mathbb C\) is two.