A lower bound for polynomial volume growth of automorphisms of zero entropy

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Hu, Fei, Jiang, Chen
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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_version_ 1866910208691798016
author Hu, Fei
Jiang, Chen
author_facet Hu, Fei
Jiang, Chen
contents Let $X$ be a normal projective variety of dimension $d$, and let $f$ be a zero-entropy automorphism of $X$. Denote by $k$ the first-degree growth rate of $f$, so that $°_1(f^n) \asymp n^{k}$. We prove the sharp lower bound for the polynomial volume growth $\mathrm{plov}(f)$ of $f$: \[ \mathrm{plov}(f) \ge d+\frac{k(k+2)}{4}, \] equivalently giving a sharp lower bound on the Gelfand--Kirillov dimension of the associated twisted homogeneous coordinate ring. This improves previous lower bounds of Keeler and of Lin--Oguiso--Zhang. In the proof, we introduce the notion of dynamical intersection polynomials and give a new characterization of $\mathrm{plov}(f)$ in terms of non-vanishing of intersection numbers. We also establish a gap principle for polynomial volume growth: for every fixed dimension $d\ge 4$, either $\mathrm{plov}(f)=d^2$, or $\mathrm{plov}(f)\le d(d-2) + 2\lfloor d/4 \rfloor$. This reveals a new rigidity phenomenon for zero-entropy automorphisms. As an application, in dimension $4$ we determine all possible values of $\mathrm{plov}$, thereby extending the results of Artin--Van den Bergh for surfaces and Lin--Oguiso--Zhang for threefolds.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_21398
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A lower bound for polynomial volume growth of automorphisms of zero entropy
Hu, Fei
Jiang, Chen
Algebraic Geometry
Dynamical Systems
Rings and Algebras
14J50, 16P90, 05E14, 16S38
Let $X$ be a normal projective variety of dimension $d$, and let $f$ be a zero-entropy automorphism of $X$. Denote by $k$ the first-degree growth rate of $f$, so that $°_1(f^n) \asymp n^{k}$. We prove the sharp lower bound for the polynomial volume growth $\mathrm{plov}(f)$ of $f$: \[ \mathrm{plov}(f) \ge d+\frac{k(k+2)}{4}, \] equivalently giving a sharp lower bound on the Gelfand--Kirillov dimension of the associated twisted homogeneous coordinate ring. This improves previous lower bounds of Keeler and of Lin--Oguiso--Zhang. In the proof, we introduce the notion of dynamical intersection polynomials and give a new characterization of $\mathrm{plov}(f)$ in terms of non-vanishing of intersection numbers. We also establish a gap principle for polynomial volume growth: for every fixed dimension $d\ge 4$, either $\mathrm{plov}(f)=d^2$, or $\mathrm{plov}(f)\le d(d-2) + 2\lfloor d/4 \rfloor$. This reveals a new rigidity phenomenon for zero-entropy automorphisms. As an application, in dimension $4$ we determine all possible values of $\mathrm{plov}$, thereby extending the results of Artin--Van den Bergh for surfaces and Lin--Oguiso--Zhang for threefolds.
title A lower bound for polynomial volume growth of automorphisms of zero entropy
topic Algebraic Geometry
Dynamical Systems
Rings and Algebras
14J50, 16P90, 05E14, 16S38
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.21398