Upper Bounds on Polynomial Root Separation

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Knapp, Greg, Yip, Chi Hoi
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Knapp, Greg
Yip, Chi Hoi
author_facet Knapp, Greg
Yip, Chi Hoi
contents In this paper, we consider the relationship between the Mahler measure of a polynomial and its separation. In 1964, Mahler proved that if $f(x) \in \mathbb{Z}[x]$ is separable of degree $n$, then $\operatorname{sep}(f) \gg_n M(f)^{-(n-1)}$. This spurred further investigations into the implicit constant involved in that relation, and it led to questions about the optimal exponent on $M(f)$ in that relation. However, there has been relatively little study concerning upper bounds on $\operatorname{sep}(f)$ in terms of $M(f)$. In this paper, we prove that if $f(x) \in \mathbb{C}[x]$ has degree $n$, then $\operatorname{sep}(f) \ll n^{-1/2}M(f)^{1/(n-1)}$. Moreover, this bound is sharp up to the implied constant factor. We further investigate the constant factor under various additional assumptions on $f(x)$, for example, if it only has real roots.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2410_01126
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Upper Bounds on Polynomial Root Separation
Knapp, Greg
Yip, Chi Hoi
Number Theory
11R06 (Primary), 11H99, 12D10 (Secondary), 30C15
In this paper, we consider the relationship between the Mahler measure of a polynomial and its separation. In 1964, Mahler proved that if $f(x) \in \mathbb{Z}[x]$ is separable of degree $n$, then $\operatorname{sep}(f) \gg_n M(f)^{-(n-1)}$. This spurred further investigations into the implicit constant involved in that relation, and it led to questions about the optimal exponent on $M(f)$ in that relation. However, there has been relatively little study concerning upper bounds on $\operatorname{sep}(f)$ in terms of $M(f)$. In this paper, we prove that if $f(x) \in \mathbb{C}[x]$ has degree $n$, then $\operatorname{sep}(f) \ll n^{-1/2}M(f)^{1/(n-1)}$. Moreover, this bound is sharp up to the implied constant factor. We further investigate the constant factor under various additional assumptions on $f(x)$, for example, if it only has real roots.
title Upper Bounds on Polynomial Root Separation
topic Number Theory
11R06 (Primary), 11H99, 12D10 (Secondary), 30C15
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.01126