On Siegel's problem for \(E\)-functions (Q2697595)

\textit{C. L. Siegel} introduced in [Abh. Preuß. Akad. Wiss., Phys.-Math. Kl. 1929, No. 1, 70 S. (1929; JFM 56.0180.05)] the notion of \(E\)-function and \(G\)-functions which generalize the diophantine properties of the exponential and logarithmic functions respectively. A power series \(\displaystyle F(z)=\sum_{n=0}^\infty a_n \dfrac{z^n}{n!}\in \overline{\mathbb Q}[[z]]\) is an \(E\)-function if \begin{itemize} \item[(i)] \(F(z)\) is a solution of a non-zero linear differential equation with coefficients in \(\overline{\mathbb Q}(z)\); \item[(ii)] there exists \(C>0\) such that for any \(\sigma \in\mathrm{Gal}(\overline{\mathbb Q}/{\mathbb Q})\) and any \(n\ge0\), \(|\sigma(a_n)|\le C^{n+1}\); \item[(iii)] there exist \(D>0\) and a sequence of integers \(d_n\), with \(1\le d_n\le D^{n+1}\), such that \(d_na_m\) are algebraic integers for all \(m\le n\); \end{itemize} where the author denotes by \(\overline{\mathbb Q}\subseteq \mathbb C\) the field of algebraic numbers. A power series \(\displaystyle\sum_{n=0}^\infty a_n z^n\in \overline{\mathbb Q}[[z]]\) is said to be a \(G\)-function if \(\displaystyle\sum_{n=0}^\infty a_n \dfrac{z^n}{n!}\) is an \(E\)-function. The author wants to know whether any \(E\)-function can be represented as a polynomial with algebraic coefficients in a finite number of \(E\)-functions of the form \({}_pF_q\left(\lambda z^{q-p+1}\right)\), \(q\ge p\ge 1\), \(\lambda\in\overline{\mathbb Q}\) with rational parameters. The case of \(E\)-functions of differential order less than or equal to 2 was settled in the affirmative by \textit{V. A. Gorelov} [Math. Notes 75, No. 4, 513--529 (2004; Zbl 1062.34096); translation from Mat. Zametki 75, No. 4, 549--565 (2004)], but Siegel's question is open for higher orders. The author proves here that if Siegel's question has a positive answer, then the ring \(\mathbf{G}\) of values taken by analytic continuations of \(G\)-functions at algebraic points must be a subring of the relatively ``small'' ring \(\mathbf{H}\) generated by algebraic numbers, \(1/\pi\) and the values of the derivatives of the Gamma function at rational points. Because that inclusion seems unlikely (and contradicts standard conjectures), this points towards a negative answer to Siegel's question in general. As intermediate steps, the author proves that any element of \(\mathbf{G}\) is a coefficient of the asymptotic expansion of a suitable \(E\)-function, which completes previous results of ours. Then, he proves that the coefficients of the asymptotic expansion of a hypergeometric \(E\)-function with rational parameters are in \(\mathbf{H}\). He completes this nice work by proving a similar result for \(G\)-functions.