arXiv subjects

Derek Garton

Publications and source records attributed to Derek Garton.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2024

Preperiodic points of polynomial dynamical systems over finite fields

For a prime $p$, positive integers $r,n$, and a polynomial $f$ with coefficients in $\mathbb{F}_{p^r}$, let $W_{p,r,n}(f)=f^n\left(\mathbb{F}_{p^r}\right)\setminus f^{n+1}\left(\mathbb{F}_{p^r}\right)$. As $n$ varies, the $W_{p,r,n}(f)$ partition the set of strictly preperiodic points of the dynamical system induced by the action of $f$ on $\mathbb{F}_{p^r}$. In this paper we compute statistics of strictly preperiodic points of dynamical systems induced by unicritical polynomials over finite fields by obtaining effective upper bounds for the proportion of $\mathbb{F}_{p^r}$ lying in a given $W_{p,r,n}(f)$. Moreover, when we generalize our definition of $W_{p,r,n}(f)$, we obtain both upper and lower bounds for the resulting averages.

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arXiv2024

The distribution of $a$-numbers of hyperelliptic curves in characteristic three

In this paper we present a new approach to counting the proportion of hyperelliptic curves of genus $g$ defined over a finite field $\mathbb{F}_q$ with a given $a$-number. In characteristic three this method gives exact probabilities for curves of the form $Y^2=f(X)$ with $f(X)\in\mathbb{F}_q[X]$ monic and cubefree, probabilities that match the data presented by Cais et al. in previous work. These results are sufficient to derive precise estimates (in terms of $q$) for these probabilities when restricting to squarefree $f$. As a consequence, for positive integers $a$ and $g$ we show that the nonempty strata of the moduli space of hyperelliptic curves of genus $g$ consisting of those curves with $a$-number $a$ are of codimension $2a-1$. This contrasts with the analogous result for the moduli space of abelian varieties in which the codimensions of the strata are $a(a+1)/2$. Finally, our results allow for an alternative heuristic conjecture to that of Cais et al.; one that matches the available data.

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arXiv2022

Periodic points of rational functions over finite fields

For $q$ a prime power and $\phi$ a rational function with coefficients in $\mathbb{F}_q$, let $p(q,\phi)$ be the proportion of $\mathbb{P}^1(\mathbb{F}_q)$ that is periodic with respect to $\phi$. And if $d$ is a positive integer, let $Q_d$ be the set of prime powers coprime to $d!$ and let $\mathcal{P}(d,q)$ be the expected value of $p(q,\phi)$ as $\phi$ ranges over rational functions with coefficients in $\mathbb{F}_q$ of degree $d$. We prove that if $d$ is a positive integer no less than $2$, then $\mathcal{P}(d,q)$ tends to 0 as $q$ increases in $Q_d$. This theorem generalizes our previous work, which held only for quadratic polynomials, and only in fixed characteristic. To deduce this result, we prove a uniformity theorem on specializations of dynamical systems of rational functions with coefficients in certain finitely-generated algebras over residually finite Dedekind domains. This specialization theorem generalizes our previous work, which held only for algebras of dimension one.

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arXiv2021

Periodic points of polynomials over finite fields

Fix an odd prime $p$. If $r$ is a positive integer and $f$ a polynomial with coefficients in $\mathbb{F}_{p^r}$, let $P_{p,r}(f)$ be the proportion of $\mathbb{P}^1(\mathbb{F}_{p^r})$ that is periodic with respect to $f$. We show that as $r$ increases, the expected value of $P_{p,r}(f)$, as $f$ ranges over quadratic polynomials, is less than $22/(\log{\log{p^r}})$. This result follows from a uniformity theorem on specializations of dynamical systems of rational functions over residually finite Dedekind domains. The specialization theorem generalizes previous work by Juul et al. that holds for rings of integers of number fields. Moreover, under stronger hypotheses, we effectivize this uniformity theorem by using the machinery of heights over general global fields; this version of the theorem generalizes previous work of Juul on polynomial dynamical systems over rings of integers of number fields. From these theorems we derive effective bounds on image sizes and periodic point proportions of families of rational functions over finite fields.

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arXiv2018

The cycle structure of unicritical polynomials

A polynomial with integer coefficients yields a family of dynamical systems indexed by primes as follows: for any prime $p$, reduce its coefficients mod $p$ and consider its action on the field $\mathbb{F}_p$. The questions of whether and in what sense these families are random have been studied extensively, spurred in part by Pollard's famous "rho" algorithm for integer factorization (the heuristic justification of which is the randomness of one such family). However, the cycle structure of these families cannot be random, since in any such family, the number of cycles of a fixed length in any dynamical system in the family is bounded. In this paper, we show that the cycle statistics of many of these families are as random as possible. As a corollary, we show that most members of these families have many cycles, addressing a conjecture of Mans et. al.

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arXiv2016

Dynamically distinguishing polynomials

A polynomial with integer coefficients yields a family of dynamical systems indexed by primes as follows: for any prime $p$, reduce its coefficients mod $p$ and consider its action on the field $\mathbb{F}_p$. We say a subset of $\mathbb{Z}[x]$ is dynamically distinguishable mod $p$ if the associated mod $p$ dynamical systems are pairwise non-isomorphic. For any $k,M\in\mathbb{Z}_{>1}$, we prove that there are infinitely many sets of integers $\mathcal{M}$ of size $M$ such that $\left\{ x^k+m\mid m\in\mathcal{M}\right\}$ is dynamically distinguishable mod $p$ for most $p$ (in the sense of natural density). Our proof uses the Galois theory of dynatomic polynomials largely developed by Morton, who proved that the Galois groups of these polynomials are often isomorphic to a particular family of wreath products. In the course of proving our result, we generalize Morton's work and compute statistics of these wreath products.

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arXiv2016

A probabilistic heuristic for counting components of functional graphs of polynomials over finite fields

In 2014, Flynn and the second author bounded the average number of components of the functional graphs of polynomials of fixed degree over a finite field. When the fixed degree was large (relative to the size of the finite field), their lower bound matched Kruskal's asymptotic for random functional graphs. However, when the fixed degree was small, they were unable to match Krusal's bound, since they could not (Lagrange) interpolate cycles in functional graphs of length greater than the fixed degree. In our work, we introduce a heuristic for approximating the average number of such cycles of any length. This heuristic is, roughly, that for sets of edges in a functional graph, the quality of being a cycle and the quality of being interpolable are "uncorrelated enough". We prove that this heuristic implies that the average number of components of the functional graphs of polynomials of fixed degree over a finite field is within a bounded constant of Kruskal's bound. We also analyze some numerical data comparing implications of this heuristic to some component counts of functional graphs of polynomials over finite fields.

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arXiv2014

Some finite abelian group theory and some q-series identities

For a fixed odd prime $\ell$, we present new families of identities defined on various subposets of the poset of isomorphism classes of finite abelian $\ell$-groups, generalizing identities of Hall and Cohen-Lenstra. We also present a $q$-series identity.

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arXiv2014

Random matrices, the Cohen-Lenstra heuristics, and roots of unity

The Cohen-Lenstra-Martinet heuristics predict the frequency with which a fixed finite abelian group appears as an ideal class group of an extension of number fields, for certain sets of extensions of a base field. Recently, Malle found numerical evidence suggesting that their proposed frequency is incorrect when there are unexpected roots of unity in the base field of these extensions. Moreover, Malle proposed a new frequency, which is a much better match for his data. We present a random matrix heuristic (coming from function fields) that leads to a function field version of Malle's conjecture (as well as generalizations of it).

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arXiv2014

A weighted M\"obius function

For a fixed odd prime $\ell$, we define a variant of the classical M\"{o}bius function on the poset of isomorphism classes of finite abelian $\ell$-groups, then we prove an analog of Hall's theorem on the vanishing of the M\"{o}bius function.

math.GR↗

arXiv2013

Abelian surfaces over finite fields with prescribed groups

Let A be an abelian surface over F_q, the field of q elements. The rational points on A/\F_q form an abelian group A(\F_q) \simeq \Z/n_1\Z \times \Z/n_1 n_2 \Z \times \Z/n_1 n_2 n_3\Z \times\Z/n_1 n_2 n_3 n_4\Z. We are interested in knowing which groups of this shape actually arise as the group of points on some abelian surface over some finite field. For a fixed prime power q, a characterization of the abelian groups that occur was recently found by Rybakov. One can use this characterization to obtain a set of congruences modulo the integers $n_1, n_2, n_3, n_4$ on certain combinations of coefficients of the corresponding Weil polynomials. We use Rybakov's criterion to show that groups \Z/n_1\Z \times \Z/n_1 n_2 \Z \times \Z/n_1 n_2 n_3\Z \times\Z/n_1 n_2 n_3 n_4\Z do not occur if n_1 is very large with respect to n_2, n_2, n_4 (Theorem \ref{splitbound}), and occur with density zero in a wider range of the variables (Theorem \ref{splitbound-average}).

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arXiv2011

The a-numbers of Jacobians of Suzuki curves

For $m \in {\mathbb N}$, let $S_m$ be the Suzuki curve defined over ${\mathbb F}_{2^{2m+1}}$. It is well-known that $S_m$ is supersingular, but the p-torsion group scheme of its Jacobian is not known. The a-number is an invariant of the isomorphism class of the p-torsion group scheme. In this paper, we compute a closed formula for the a-number of $S_m$ using the action of the Cartier operator on $H^0(S_m,Ω^1)$.

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arXiv2011

Graph components and dynamics over finite fields

For polynomials and rational maps of fixed degree over a finite field, we bound both the average number of connected components of their functional graphs as well as the average number of periodic points of their associated dynamical systems.

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