Estimating Mahler measures using periodic points for the doubling map (Q2252935)

Let \(p(z)\) be a polynomial, which factorizes over \(\mathbb{C}\) as \[ p(z) = a (z - \alpha_1)(z-\alpha_2) \dots (z-\alpha_n). \] The number \[ M(p) = |a| \prod_{|\alpha_i| \geq 1} |\alpha_i| \] is called the \textit{Mahler measure} of \(p\). The main result of the present paper is the following theorem. Theorem 1.1 We can write the logarithmic Mahler measure \(\log M(P)\) as an infinite series \[ \log M(p) = \sum_{n=1}^\infty a_n, \] where the terms \(a_n\) are explicitly given in terms of the values of the polynomial \(p\) at the points \(\{k/(2^n-1): k=0,1,\dots,2^n-1\}\), and there exist \(0 < \theta < 1\) and \(C > 0\) such that \(|a_n| \leq C \theta^{n^2}\). The proof uses a dynamical method for numerical integration, developed by the first author together with \textit{O. Jenkinson} [Proc. Steklov Inst. Math. 256, 275--289 (2007; Zbl 1166.65011)]. Some applications are given, showing how the rapid convergence of the series allows one to approximate the Mahler measure of a given polynomial very efficiently.