The Amazing Image Conjecture

Abstract

In this paper we discuss a general framework in which we present a new conjecture, due to Wenhua Zhao, the Image Conjecture. This conjecture implies the Generalized Vanishing Conjecture and hence the Jacobian Conjecture. Crucial ingredient is the notion of a Mathieu space: let $k$ be a field and $R$ a commutative $k$-algebra. A $k$-linear subspace $M$ of $R$ is called a Mathieu subspace of $R$, if the following holds: let $f\in R$ be such that $f^m\in M$, for all $m\geq 1$, then for every $g\in R$ also $gf^m\in M$, for almost all $m$, i.e. only finitely many exceptions. Let $A$ be the polynomial ring in $\zeta=\zeta_1, ...,\zeta_n$ and $z_1, ...,z_n$ over $\mathbb C$. The Image Conjecture (IC) asserts that $\sum_i(\partial_{z_i}-\zeta_i)A$ is a Mathieu subspace of $A$. We prove this conjecture for $n=1$. Also we relate (IC) to the following Integral Conjecture: if $B$ is an open subset of $\mathbb R^n$ and $\sigma$ a positive measure, such that the integral over $B$ of each polynomial in $z$ over $\mathbb C$ is finite, then the set of polynomials, whose integral over $B$ is zero, is a Mathieu subspace of $\mathbb C[z]$. It turns out that Laguerre polynomials play a special role in the study of the Jacobian Conjecture.