Submission date: 18 April 2013.

Abstract:

We give a short proof of the main algebraic result of [Boris Zilber, Covers of the multiplicative group of an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero, J. London Math. Soc. (2) 74 (2006), no. 1, 41-58], also known as the `thumbtack lemma'.

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Full text arXiv 1304.4785: pdf, ps.