An algebraic independence result related to a conjecture of Dixmier on binary form invariants (Q2319999)

Denote by \(S_n\) the space of binary forms of degree \(n\), and for \(F\in S_d\), \(G\in S_n\), \(0\le k\le\min\{d,n\}\) denote by \((F,G)_k\in S_{d+n-2k}\) the \(k^{\mathrm{th}}\) transvectant of the binary forms \(F,G\). When \(d=2k\), the map \(S_n\to S_n\), \(G\mapsto (F,G)_k\) is a linear endomorphism of the \((n+1)\)-dimensional space \(S_n\); denote by \(\mathcal{H}_{n,p}(F)\) the \(p^{\mathrm{th}}\) coefficient of the characteristic polynomial of this linear transformation. These \(\mathrm{SL}_2\)-invariants of the binary forms of degree \(2k\) where introduced by Hilbert. It was conjectured by Dixmier that if \(d\) is divisible by \(4\), the elements \(\mathcal{H}_{d-2,2}\), \(\mathcal{H}_{d-2,3}\), \(\dots\), \(\mathcal{H}_{d-2,d-1}\) form a homogeneous system of parameters in the algebra of \(\mathrm{SL}_2\)-invariants of binary forms of degree \(d\). The author proposes the following extension of this conjecture: For \(d = 2k\) with \(k\) even and for \(k \le n\le 2k - 2\), \(\mathcal{H}_{n,2}\), \(\mathcal{H}_{n,3}\), \(\dots\), \(\mathcal{H}_{n,n+1}\) is a regular sequence in the ring of \(\mathrm{SL}_2\)-invariants of binary forms of degree \(d\). The main result of the paper is that the above \(\mathrm{SL}_2\)-invariants are algebraically independent. In order to prove this result, the author has to show that certain alternating sums of products of binomial coefficients are non-zero. The paper contains an elementary proof using the Chu-Vandermonde Theorem for Dixon's Summation Theorem. Explicit computations of invariants are provided for binary octavics, which can serve as an introduction to Gordan's method in classical invariant theory.