Reducibility of rational functions in several variables (Q940751)

Let \(K\) be an algebraically closed field. Let \(n\geq 2\) be an integer and \(\underline{x}=(x_1, \ldots, x_n)\) be an \(n-\)tuple of algebraically independent variables (over \(K\)). Let \(f=p/q \in K(\underline{x})\), with \(p, q \in K[\underline{x}]\) such that \(\text{gcd}(p,q)=1\); the degree of \(f\) is \(\deg f= \max(\deg p, \deg q)\). The rational function \(f\) is composite if there exist \(g \in K(\underline{x})\) and \(r \in K(t)\) with \(\deg r \geq 2\) such that \(f(\underline{x})= r(g(\underline{x}))\). A consequence of a theorem of Bertini-Krull, is that: \(f\) is non composite if and only if the number of \(\lambda \in K \cup \{\infty\}\) such that \(p- \lambda q\) is reducible in \(K[\underline{x}]\), is finite. (By convention if \(\lambda= \infty\) then \(p- \lambda q= q\).) The main goal of the paper under review is to give a bound for this finite number. This number is \(< (\deg f)^2 + \deg f\) for \(n=2\) and characteristic zero (Theorem 4.1); and is \(< (\deg f)^2 \) for \(n\geq 2\) and any characteristic (Theorem 5.3). In fact this work is an extension of the polynomial case (i.e., \( f \in K[\underline{x}]\)), but in this particular case such a bound is better, more precisely: if \( f \in K[\underline{x}]\) is non composite then the number of \(\lambda \in K\) such that \(f- \lambda\) is reducible in \(K[\underline{x}]\) is \(< \deg f.\) For a recent study of the polynomial case and for more references, we refer to [\textit{S. Najib}, J. Algebra 292, No. 2, 566--573 (2005; Zbl 1119.13022)]. Reviewer's remarks: Recently some results are obtained in these directions by \textit{A. Bodin, P. Dèbes} and \textit{S. Najib} in: [``Irreducibility of hypersurfaces'', Commun. Algebra (2009)], and in: [``Indecomposable polynomials and their spectrum'', Acta Arith. (2009)].