On a conjecture of Chen and Yui: Fricke groups (Q6046934)

Let \(j(\tau)\) be the modular \(j\)-invariant and let \(H_{d}(x)\) denote the minimal polynomial of \(j(\tau)\) over \({\mathbb Q}\) where \(\tau = \frac{-d+\sqrt{-d}}{2}\) and \(-d\) is a negative discriminant. The resultants of pairs of the \(H_{d}(x)\) and the discriminants of the \(H_{d}(x)\) have been previously studied by a number of authors. The case of fundamental discriminants was initiated by Berwick, Ford-McKay, with explicit formulae described and proven (in many cases) through the celebrated work of \textit{B. H. Gross} and \textit{D. B. Zagier} [J. Reine Angew. Math. 355, 191--220 (1985; Zbl 0545.10015)], and remaining cases treated by \textit{D. R. Dorman} [Math. Ann. 283, No. 2, 177--191 (1989; Zbl 0642.12014)]. Subsequently, generalizations to \(\tau\) lying in an imaginary quadratic order have been proven by \textit{K. Lauter} and \textit{B. Viray} [Int. Math. Res. Not. 2015, No. 19, 9206--9250 (2015; Zbl 1392.11088)] and \textit{Y. Hayashi} [Die Rankinsche L-Funktion und Heegner-Punkte für allgemeine Diskriminanten, Dissertation, Bonn (1993)]. Replacing \(j(\tau)\) by a Thompson series \(j_N^+(\tau)\) for a Fricke group \(\Gamma_0(N)^+\) and \(\tau = \frac{-d + \sqrt{-d}}{2}\) for \(-d\) a negative fundamental discriminant, it was shown in \textit{I. Chen} and \textit{N. Yui} [Ohio State Univ. Math. Res. Inst. Publ. 4, 255--326 (1996; Zbl 0918.11024)] that \(j_N^+(\tau)\) generates a ring class field of conductor \(N\). Let \(H_{d,N}^+(x)\) denote the minimal polynomial of \(j_N^+(\tau)\) over \(\mathbb Q\). The resultants of pairs of the \(H_{d,N}^+(x)\) and the discriminants of the \(H_{d,N}^+(x)\) were investigated by Chen-Yui through numerical examples. In this paper, the author gives explicit formulae for the factorization of these resultants and discriminants (Theorems 1.3 and 1.6). In addition, a bound on the primes occurring in these factorizations (Corollaries 1.8 and 1.13) is also proven. The proof for resultants is based on writing the logarithm of differences of values of \(j_N^+(\tau)\) in terms of a limit involving Green's functions and Eisenstein series due to \textit{B. Gross} et al. [Math. Ann. 278, 497--562 (1987; Zbl 0641.14013)]. A number of techniques are developed to compute this limit to an explicit factorization formula. For discriminants, the logarithm of differences of distinct roots of \(H_{d,N}^+(x)\) are written in terms of an automorphic Green's function on a certain modular surface through work of Scheithauer (Theorem 3.2). Theorem 1.6 is then achieved by using the work of Schofer (Theorem 3.3) to express averages of this function in terms of coefficients of Eisenstein series.