An Introduction to Auxiliary Polynomials in Transcendence Theory - Lecture II

Delve into the second lecture of a series on auxiliary polynomials in transcendence theory, presented by Samit Dasgupta at the Hausdorff Center for Mathematics. Explore the fascinating world of transcendence theory, which investigates the rationality and algebraicity properties of arithmetic and analytic quantities. Learn about the historical context, including Hilbert's 7th problem and its resolution by Gelfond and Schneider. Discover Baker's groundbreaking generalization of this result, which uses auxiliary polynomials to prove linear dependence of logarithms of algebraic numbers. Examine the structural rank conjecture and the significant contributions of Masser and Waldschmidt in providing lower bounds for the rank of logarithmic matrices. Gain insights into complex analysis and commutative algebra techniques used throughout the course. This hour-long lecture offers a deep dive into the mathematical concepts and methodologies that have shaped our understanding of transcendence theory and its applications.