Plane curves and <i>p</i>-adic roots of unity (Q4940640)

The following theorem is proved: Let \(f(x,y)\) be a polynomial of degree \(d\) in two variables whose coefficients are integers in some unramified extension of \({\mathbb Q}_p\). Assume that: (i) the reduction of \(f\) modulo \(p\) is irreducible of degree \(d\) and not a binomial; (ii) \(p>d^2+2\). Then the number of solutions of the inequality \(|f(\zeta_1,\zeta_2)|<p^{-1}\), with \(\zeta_1,\zeta_2\) roots of unity in \(\bar{\mathbb Q}_p\) or zero, is at most \(pd^2\). A similar result for linear polynomials in two variables was obtained by \textit{J. Tate} and \textit{J. F. Voloch} [Int. Math. Res. Not. 1996, No. 12, 589-601 (1996; Zbl 0893.11015)].