Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T23:25:21.444Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Polynomials that Vanish on Distinct $n$th Roots of Unity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 January 2004

ANDRÉ E. KÉZDY
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematics, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky 40292, USA (e-mail: [email protected])
HUNTER S. SNEVILY
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematics, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho 83844, USA (e-mail: [email protected])

Abstract

Let ${\bf C}$ denote the field of complex numbers and $\Omega_n$ the set of $n$th roots of unity. For $t = 0,\ldots,n-1$, define the ideal $\Im(n,t+1) \subset {\bf C}[x_0,\ldots,x_{t}]$ consisting of those polynomials in $t+1$ variables that vanish on distinct $n$th roots of unity; that is, $f \in \Im(n,t+1)$ if and only if $f(\omega_0,\ldots,\omega_{t}) = 0$ for all $(\omega_0,\ldots,\omega_{t}) \in \Omega_n^{t+1}$ satisfying $\omega_i \neq \omega_j$, for $0 \le i < j \le t$.

In this paper we apply Gröbner basis methods to give a Combinatorial Nullstellensatz characterization of the ideal $\Im(n,t+1)$. In particular, if $f \in {\bf C}[x_0,\ldots,x_{t}]$, then we give a necessary and sufficient condition on the coefficients of $f$ for membership in $\Im(n,t+1)$.

Type
Paper
Copyright
© 2004 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)