The Minimal Resultant and Conductor for Self Maps of the Projective Line
by Williams, Phillip, Ph.D., CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, 2011, 108 pages; 3478807

Abstract:

We develop and study the minimal resultant divisor of self-maps of the projective line over a number field or a function field and its relation to the conductor. The guiding focus is the exploration of a dynamical analog to Szpiro's Theorem (Theorem 5.1), which bounds the degree of the minimal discriminant of an elliptic curve over a function field in terms of the conductor. We also explore a question about Lattes maps: given an elliptic curve over a function field with semi-stable bad reduction, we show the associated Lattes maps for multiplication by n have unstable bad reduction for each n. We then study minimality and semi-stability, considering what conditions imply minimality and whether semi-stable models and presentations are minimal, proving results in the degree two case. We prove the singular reduction of a semi-stable presentation coincides with the bad reduction. Degree 2 maps in normal form with semi-stable bad reduction are used to construct a counterexample to a natural dynamical analog to Szpiro's Theorem. Finally, we consider the notion of "critical bad reduction," and show that a dynamical analog may still be possible using the locus of critical bad reduction to define the conductor.

 
AdviserLucien Szpiro
SchoolCITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
SourceDAI/B 73-02, p. , Dec 2011
Source TypeDissertation
SubjectsApplied mathematics; Mathematics
Publication Number3478807
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