Torsion points in families of Drinfeld modules

Abstract

Let $Φ^ł$ be an algebraic family of Drinfeld modules defined over a field $K$ of characteristic $p$, and let $\bfa,\bfb\in K[ł]$. Assume that neither $\bfa(ł)$ nor $\bfb(ł)$ is a torsion point for $Φ^ł$ for all $ł$. If there exist infinitely many $ł\in\Kbar$ such that both $\bfa(ł)$ and $\bfb(ł)$ are torsion points for $Φ^ł$, then we show that for each $ł\in\Kbar$, we have that $\bfa(ł)$ is torsion for $Φ^ł$ if and only if $\bfb(ł)$ is torsion for $Φ^ł$. In the case $\bfa,\bfb\in K$, then we prove in addition that $\bfa$ and $\bfb$ must be $\Fpbar$-linearly dependent.