Periodic points of rational functions over finite fields
The present work studies the number of periodic points for degree-\(d\) rational functions over finite fields.\N\NLet \(q\) be a prime power and \(\phi\) be a rational function over \(\mathbb{F}_q\). Let \(p(q,\phi)\) denote the proportion of points in the projective space \(\mathbb{P}^1(\mathbb{F}_q)\) that are periodic under iteration of \(\phi\). For a fixed integer \(d \geq 2\), let \(\mathcal{P}(d,q)\) and \(\mathcal{R}(d,q)\) denote the expected values of \(p(q,\phi)\) when \(\phi\) ranges over all degree-\(d\) polynomials and rational functions, respectively. The main result (Theorem~1.1) states that if \(Q_d\) denotes the set of prime powers coprime to \(d!\), then\N\[\N\lim_{\substack{q \to \infty \\\Nq \in Q_d}} \mathcal{P}(d,q) = 0 \quad \text{and} \quad \lim_{\substack{q \to \infty \\\Nq \in Q_d}} \mathcal{R}(d,q) = 0.\N\]\NThe main result generalizes the author's previous work [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 375, No. 7, 4849--4871 (2022; Zbl 1506.37120)] which was restricted to quadratic polynomials and fixed characteristic.\N\NThe proof relies on a new uniformity theorem on specializations of dynamical systems of rational functions with coefficients in certain finitely generated algebras over residually finite Dedekind domains. The Lang-Weil bound on numbers points of proper subvarieties over a finite field [\textit{S. Lang} and \textit{A. Weil}, Am. J. Math. 76, 819--827 (1954; Zbl 0058.27202)] is also used.
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