On the Number of Places of Convergence for Newton's Method over Number Fields

Let f be a polynomial of degree at least 2 with coefficients in a number field K, let x_0 be a sufficiently general element of K, and let alpha be a root of f. We give precise conditions under which Newton iteration, started at the point x_0, converges v-adically to the root alpha for infinitely many places v of K. As a corollary we show that if f is irreducible over K of degree at least 3, then Newton iteration converges v-adically to any given root of f for infinitely many places v. We also conjecture that the set of places for which Newton iteration diverges has full density and give some heuristic and numerical evidence.Comment: 9 pages; minor changes from the previous version; to appear in Journal de Th\'eorie des Nombres de Bordeau

A note on the arithmetic of differential equations

AbstractIn this note we give a method for computing the differential Galois group of some linear second-order ordinary differential equations using arithmetic information, namely the p-curvatures

On (k,n)-arcs

AbstractWe construct (k,n)-arcs in PG(2,q) with k approximately q2/d and n approximately q/d for each divisor d of q-1

Diophantine approximation and deformation

We associate certain curves over function fields to given algebraic power series and show that bounds on the rank of Kodaira-Spencer map of this curves imply bounds on the exponents of the power series, with more generic curves giving lower exponents. If we transport Vojta's conjecture on height inequality to finite characteristic by modifying it by adding suitable deformation theoretic condition, then we see that the numbers giving rise to general curves approach Roth's bound. We also prove a hierarchy of exponent bounds for approximation by algebraic quantities of bounded degree

Recovering affine curves over finite fields from LL-functions

Let $K$ be the function field of a curve over a finite field of odd characteristic. We investigate using $L$-functions of Galois extensions of $K$ to effectively recover $K$. When $K$ is the function field of the projective line with four rational points removed, we show how to use $L$-functions of a ray class field to effectively recover the removed points up to automorphisms of the projective line. When $K$ is the function field of a plane curve, we show how to effectively recover the equation of that curve using $L$-functions of Artin-Schreier extensions of $K$.Comment: 23 pages; comments welcom