The pentagram map, introduced by Schwartz [The pentagram map. Exp. Math. 1(1) (1992), 71–81], is a dynamical system on the moduli space of polygons in the projective plane. Its real and complex dynamics have been explored in detail. We study the pentagram map over an arbitrary algebraically closed field of characteristic not equal to 2. We prove that the pentagram map on twisted polygons is a discrete integrable system, in the sense of algebraic complete integrability: the pentagram map is birational to a self-map of a family of abelian varieties. This generalizes Soloviev’s proof of complex integrability [F. Soloviev. Integrability of the pentagram map. Duke Math. J. 162(15) (2013), 2815–2853]. In the course of the proof, we construct the moduli space of twisted n-gons, derive formulas for the pentagram map, and calculate the Lax representation by characteristic-independent methods.

Let be a dominant rational self-map of a smooth projective variety defined over $\overline{\mathbb{Q}}$. For each point $P\in X(\overline{\mathbb{Q}})$ whose forward $f$-orbit is well defined, Silverman introduced the arithmetic degree $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}_{f}(P)$, which measures the growth rate of the heights of the points $f^{n}(P)$. Kawaguchi and Silverman conjectured that $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}_{f}(P)$ is well defined and that, as $P$ varies, the set of values obtained by $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}_{f}(P)$ is finite. Based on constructions by Bedford and Kim and by McMullen, we give a counterexample to this conjecture when $X=\mathbb{P}^{4}$.

We prove a conjecture by Kawaguchi–Silverman on arithmetic and dynamical degrees, for self-morphisms of semi-abelian varieties. Moreover, we determine the set of the arithmetic degrees of orbits and the (first) dynamical degrees of self-morphisms of semi-abelian varieties.

We draw a connection between the model-theoretic notions of modularity (or one-basedness), orthogonality and internality, as applied to difference fields, and questions of descent in in algebraic dynamics. In particular we prove in any dimension a strong dynamical version of Northcott's theorem for function fields, answering a question of Szpiro and Tucker and generalizing a theorem of Baker's for the projective line.

The paper comes in three parts. This first part contains an exposition some of the main results of the model theory of difference fields, and their immediate connection to questions of descent in algebraic dynamics. We present the model-theoretic notion of internality in a context that does not require a universal domain with quantifier-elimination. We also note a version of canonical heights that applies well beyond polarized algebraic dynamics. Part II sharpens the structure theory to arbitrary base fields and constructible maps where in part I we emphasize finite base change and correspondences. Part III will include precise structure theorems related to the Galois theory considered here, and will enable a sharpening of the descent results for non-modular dynamics.

This second part of the paper strengthens the descent theory described in the first part to rational maps and arbitrary base fields. We obtain in particular a decomposition of any difference field extension into a tower of finite, field-internal and one-based difference field extensions. This is needed in order to obtain the ‘dynamical Northcott’ Theorem 1.11 of Part I in sharp form.

This paper deals with group actions of one-dimensional formal groups defined over the ring of integers in a finite extension of the p-adic field, where the space acted upon is the maximal ideal in the ring of integers of an algebraic closure of the p-adic field. Given a formal group F as above, a formal flow is a series Φ(t,x) satisfying the conditions Φ(0,x)=x and Φ(F(s,t),x)=Φ(s,Φ(t,x)). With this definition, any formal group will act on the disk by left translation, but this paper constructs flows Φ with any specified divisor of fixed points, where a point ξ of the open unit disk is a fixed point of order [les ]n if (x−ξ)n|(Φ(t,x)−x). Furthermore, if γ is an analytic automorphism of the open unit disk with only finitely many periodic points, then there is a flow Φ, an element α of the maximal ideal of the ring of constants, and an integer m such that the m-fold iteration of γ(x) is equal to Φ(α,x). All the formal flows constructed here are actions of the additive formal group on the unit disk. Indeed, if the divisor of fixed points of a formal flow is of degree at least two, then the formal group involved must become isomorphic to the additive group when the base is extended to the residue field of the constant ring.