A topological approach to undefinability in algebraic extensions of Q\mathbb{Q}

For any subset $Z \subseteq \mathbb{Q}$, consider the set $S_Z$ of subfields $L\subseteq \overline{\mathbb{Q}}$ which contain a co-infinite subset $C \subseteq L$ that is universally definable in $L$ such that $C \cap \mathbb{Q}=Z$. Placing a natural topology on the set $\text{Sub}(\overline{\mathbb{Q}})$ of subfields of $\overline{\mathbb{Q}}$, we show that if $Z$ is not thin in $\mathbb{Q}$, then $S_Z$ is meager in $\text{Sub}(\overline{\mathbb{Q}})$. Here, thin and meager both mean "small", in terms of arithmetic geometry and topology, respectively. For example, this implies that only a meager set of fields $L$ have the property that the ring of algebraic integers $\mathcal{O}_L$ is universally definable in $L$. The main tools are Hilbert's Irreducibility Theorem and a new normal form theorem for existential definitions. The normal form theorem, which may be of independent interest, says roughly that every $\exists$-definable subset of an algebraic extension of $\mathbb Q$ is a finite union of single points and projections of hypersurfaces defined by absolutely irreducible polynomials.Comment: 24 pages. Introduction has been rewritte

Unlikely intersections in products of families of elliptic curves and the multiplicative group

Let $E_\lambda$ be the Legendre elliptic curve of equation $Y^2=X(X-1)(X-\lambda)$. We recently proved that, given $n$ linearly independent points $P_1(\lambda), \dots,P_n(\lambda)$ on $E_\lambda$ with coordinates in $\bar{\mathbb{Q}(\lambda)}$, there are at most finitely many complex numbers $\lambda_0$ such that the points $P_1(\lambda_0), \dots,P_n(\lambda_0)$ satisfy two independent relations on $E_{\lambda_0}$. In this article we continue our investigations on Unlikely Intersections in families of abelian varieties and consider the case of a curve in a product of two non-isogenous families of elliptic curves and in a family of split semi-abelian varieties.Comment: To appear in The Quarterly Journal of Mathematic

Panorama of p-adic model theory

ABSTRACT. We survey the literature in the model theory of p-adic numbers since\ud Denef’s work on the rationality of Poincaré series. / RÉSUMÉ. Nous donnons un aperçu des développements de la théorie des modèles\ud des nombres p-adiques depuis les travaux de Denef sur la rationalité de séries de Poincaré,\ud par une revue de la bibliographie