The distance trisector curve is transcendental (Q741624)

The distance trisector curve was introduced by \textit{T. Asano} et al. [Adv. Math. 212, No. 1, 338--360 (2007; Zbl 1185.68768)]. Given two points \(p_1\) and \(p_2\) in the plane, there exist two curves \(C_1\) and \(C_2\) such that any point \(q_1 \in C_1\) has equal distances to \(p_1\) and \(C_2\) and any point \(q_2 \in C_2\) has equal distances to \(p_2\) and \(C_1\). The curves \(C_1\) and \(C_2\) are mirror symmetric and either is called a distance trisector curve. The distance trisector curve is known to be analytic and conjectured to be non-algebraic. This conjecture finds an affirmative answer in this article. The distance trisector's Taylor expansion has coefficients in \(\mathbb{Q}[\sqrt{3}]\). Applying the conjugation \(a+b\sqrt{3} \mapsto a-b\sqrt{3}\), the authors construct the Taylor series of another curve, called the conjugate curve. It resembles the original distance trisector curve in many aspects (for example, there is a local distance equality with respect to the points \(p_1\) and \(p_2\) but not a global one). Its shape is, however, completely different: While the distance trisector curve resembles one branch of hyperbola, the conjugate curve looks rather like an Archimedean spiral. The authors proceed by showing that the conjugate curve intersect the coordinate axes in infinitely many points. Hence, it is not algebraic and the same is true for its conjugate, that is, the original distance trisector curve.