On the metric Mahler measure (Q5929412)

Let \(\overline Q^*\) denote the group of non-zero algebraic numbers, and let \(\Omega\) be its subgroup, consisting of all roots of unity. For an algebraic number \(a\) the authors define the metric Mahler measure \({\mathbf M}(a)\) by putting \({\mathbf M}(a)=\inf M(\alpha_1)\cdots M(\alpha_n)\), where \(M(\cdot)\) is Mahler's measure and the infimum taken over all factorizations \(a=\alpha_1\cdots\alpha_n\) with algebraic (not necessarily integral) \(\alpha_i\), and show that \(d(a\Omega,b\Omega)=\log{\mathbf M}(a/b)\) defines a metric on \(\overline Q^*/\Omega\), which is discrete if and only if Lehmer's conjecture is true. Lower bounds for \({\mathbf M}(a)\) in dependence of the degree of \(a\) are obtained and an explicit formula for \(M(a)\), when \(a\) is an arithmetical root of a rational number, is given. Two conjectures are stated, one asserting that the infimum in the definition of \(\mathbf M\) is always attained. It is shown that this conjecture is a consequence of Lehmer's conjecture.