Root sets of polynomials modulo prime powers (Q5929837)

It is known [see e.g. \textit{W. Sierpiński}, Ann. Polon. Math. 1, 89-90 (1954; Zbl 0055.27101)] that if \(n\neq 4\) is composite, then not every subset of the ring \(Z/nZ\) of integers \(\bmod\;n\) can be the root set of a polynomial. The author shows that if \(k\geq 1\) is fixed, \(p\) is a prime and \(n=p^k\) then the number of all subsets of \(Z_n\) which are root sets of suitable polynomials can be written in the form \(F_k(p)^p\) where \(F_k(X)\) is a polynomial over the rationals. This is achieved using a recursive construction of all root sets in which a decisive role plays the notion of \(p\)-ordering, introduced by \textit{M. Bhargava} [J. Reine Angew. Math. 490, 101-127 (1997; Zbl 0899.13022)]. The author points out that the same method works also in the case when the ring of rational integers is replaced by any Dedekind domain \(R\) and the prime \(p\) is replaced by a prime ideal \(P\) of \(R\) having finite norm \(\#(R/P)\).