Explicit isogeny theorems for Drinfeld modules (Q2391399)

Let \(K\) be a finite extension of the rational function field \({\mathbb F}_q(T)\) over the finite field \({\mathbb F}_q\) and let \(A = {\mathbb F}_q[T]\) be the polynomial ring. Let \(\phi\) be a rank \(r\geq 1\) Drinfeld \(A\)-module over \(K\). Then, for a prime ideal \({\mathfrak L}\) of \(A,\) the Drinfeld module \(\phi\) gives rise to an \({\mathfrak L}\)-adic representation of the absolute Galois group \(G_K\) of \(K\) via the canonical action of \(G_K\) on the \({\mathfrak L}\)-adic Tate module \(T_{\mathfrak L}(\phi)\) of \(\phi\). It follows from the analogue for Drinfeld module [\textit{T. Takahashi}, J. Math. Soc. Japan 34, 475--487 (1982; Zbl 0476.14010)] of the classical criterion of Néron-Ogg-Shafarevich that this representation is unramified at \(\wp\) for primes \(\wp\) of \(K\) where \(\phi\) has good reduction. Let \(P_\wp(\phi)(X)\) denote the characteristic polynomial of the Frobenius at \(\wp\) for unramified prime \(\wp\). Then \(P_\wp(\phi)(X)\) is independent of the choice of the prime \({\mathfrak L}\). As a consequence of Tate's conjecture in the setting of Drinfeld modules [\textit{Y. Taguchi}, J. Number Theory 60, No. 1, 124--141 (1996; Zbl 0862.11038)] that two Drinfeld modules \(\phi\) and \(\phi'\) are isogenous over \(K\) if and only if \(P_{\wp}(\phi)(X) = P_\wp(\phi')(X)\) for all but finitely many primes \(\wp\) of \(K\). Now let \(\phi\) and \(\phi'\) be two rank \(r\) Drinfeld modules which are not isogenous. In this paper under review, the authors establish a bound (depending on the defining coefficients of \(\phi\) and \(\phi'\)) so that there is a prime \(\wp\) of \(K\) whose degree is below this bound with the property that \(P_\wp(\phi)(X) \neq P_\wp(\phi')(X).\) In other words, the least degree of the prime \(\wp\) of \(K\) so that \(P_\wp(\phi)(X)\) and \(P_\wp(\phi')(X)\) are defined and \(P_\wp(\phi)(X) \neq P_\wp(\phi')(X)\) satisfies \(\deg_K \wp \leq B\) for an explicit constant \(B = B(\phi, \phi').\) This result is a Drinfeld module analogues of Serre's work [\textit{J.-P. Serre}, Publ. Math., Inst. Hautes Étud. Sci. 54, 123--202 (1981; Zbl 0496.12011)]. The proof of the main result follows the strategy in Serre's paper [ibid.] adapted to the Drinfeld module setting. The main differences are the application of an effective Chebotarev density theorem [\textit{V. K. Murty} and \textit{J. Scherk}, C. R. Acad. Sci., Paris, Sér. I 319, No. 6, 523--528 (1994; Zbl 0822.11077)] which is stronger than the number field case and the result for Drinfeld modules obtained in this paper is unconditional due to the validity of the general Riemann hypothesis for function fields, .