Length of the sum and product of algebraic numbers (Q2388194)

The length \(L(a)\) of an algebraic number \(a\) is the sum of absolute values of coefficients of the minimal polynomial of \(a\) over \(\mathbb Z\). The authors put \({\mathcal L}(a)= \min\{L(a_1)\cdots L(a_m): a=a_1+\cdots +a_m,\) \(a_i\) algebraic\(\}\), and \({\mathcal L}^*(a)= \min\{(L(a_1)-1)\cdots (L(a_m)-1):a= a_1\cdots a_m,\) \(a_i\) algebraic\(\}\), point out that \(\log{\mathcal L}(a-b)\) is a metric in the set of all algebraic numbers, and prove certain inequalities involving \(\mathcal L\) and \({\mathcal L}^*\).