Common divisors of totients of polynomial sequences (Q2231142)

Let \(f(x)\in {\mathbb Z}[x]\) be a primitive polynomial (i.e., the gcd of its coefficients is \(1\)) and \(\phi(n)\) be the Euler function of the integer \(n\). In the paper under review the authors study \[ {\mathcal G}_f=\gcd\{\phi(f(n)): n\in {\mathbb N}\}. \] The paper is motivated by a question of \textit{T. N. Venkataramana} asked in [Ramanujan Math. Soc. Lect. Notes Ser. 1, 155--161 (2005; Zbl 1156.11300)] who asked whether \({\mathcal G}(f)\) is bounded by a number depending only on the degree \(k\) of \(f(x)\). He also proved that \({\mathcal G}(f)\) divides \(4\) if \(f(x)\) is linear. The authors answer this question in explicit form under the Schinzel's Hypothesis \(H\). Namely, writing \(f(x)=f_1(x)^{a_1}\cdots f_s(x)^{a_s}\), where \(f_1(x),\ldots,f_s(x)\) are nonassociated irreducible polynomials of degrees \(k_1,\ldots,k_s\) in \({\mathbb Z}[x]\) and \(a_1,\ldots,a_s\) are positive integer exponents, denote by \(r_j\) the maximal order of a root of unity contained in the field \({\mathbb Q}(\alpha_j)\), where \(\alpha_j\) is any root of \(f_j(x)\). Then \(\phi(r_j)\mid k_j\) for \(j=1,\ldots,s\), and \({\mathcal G}(f)\) divides \(k! r_1^2\cdots r_s^2\). When \(f(x)\) is linear, then \(s=1\) and Schinzel's Hypothesis \(H\) is Dirichlet's theorem on primes in arithmetic progressions so the authors recover Venkataramana's result. Unconditionally, the authors show that \({\mathcal G}(f)\) is bounded by a number depending only on \(k\) provided that \(f(x)\) splits completely in linear factors. Furthermore, in this case \({\mathcal G}(f)\) has only prime factors smaller than or equal to \(2k\). Finally, the authors address the case \(k=2\) showing that \({\mathcal G}(f)\) is bounded by an absolute constant. The proofs use the Chebotarev density theorem and sieve methods.