A Computer-Algebra-Based Formal Proof of the Irrationality of ζ(3)

International audienceThis paper describes the formal verification of an irrationality proof of ζ(3), the evaluation of the Riemann zeta function, using the Coq proof assistant. This result was first proved by Apéry in 1978, and the proof we have formalized follows the path of his original presentation. The crux of this proof is to establish that some sequences satisfy a common recurrence. We formally prove this result by an a posteriori verification of calculations performed by computer algebra algorithms in a Maple session. The rest of the proof combines arithmetical ingredients and some asymptotic analysis that we conduct by extending the Mathematical Components libraries. The formalization of this proof is complete up to a weak corollary of the Prime Number Theorem

Irrationality of some p-adic L-values

We give a proof of the irrationality of the $p$-adic zeta-values $\zeta_p(k)$ for $p=2,3$ and $k=2,3$. Such results were recently obtained by F.Calegari as an application of overconvergent $p$-adic modular forms. In this paper we present an approach using classical continued fractions discovered by Stieltjes. In addition we show irrationality of some other $p$-adic $L$-series values, and values of the $p$-adic Hurwitz zeta-function

Rational approximations to algebraic Laurent series with coefficients in a finite field

In this paper we give a general upper bound for the irrationality exponent of algebraic Laurent series with coefficients in a finite field. Our proof is based on a method introduced in a different framework by Adamczewski and Cassaigne. It makes use of automata theory and, in our context, of a classical theorem due to Christol. We then introduce a new approach which allows us to strongly improve this general bound in many cases. As an illustration, we give few examples of algebraic Laurent series for which we are able to compute the exact value of the irrationality exponent

Measures of irrationality for hypersurfaces of large degree

We study various measures of irrationality for hypersurfaces of large degree in projective space and other varieties. These include the least degree of a rational covering of projective space, and the minimal gonality of a covering family of curves. The theme is that positivity properties of canonical bundles lead to lower bounds on these invariants. In particular, we prove that if X is a very general smooth hypersurface of dimension n and degree d \ge 2n+1, then any dominant rational mapping from X to projective n-space must have degree at least d-1. We also propose a number of open problems, and we show how our methods lead to simple new proofs of results of Ran and Beheshti-Eisenbud.Comment: Major revision of first version, combining it with previously separate appendix of Bastianelli and De Poi. Extended section of open problems added, as well as new proofs of results of Ran and Beheshti-Eisenbud. Dedicated to J\'anos Koll\'ar on the occasion of his sixtieth birthda