Submission date: 14 January 2015

Abstract:

We consider the theory of algebraically closed fields of characteristic zero with multivalued operations x --> x^r (raising to powers). It is in fact the theory of equations in exponential sums. In an earlier paper we have described complete first-order theories of such structures, conditional on a Diophantine conjecture that generalises the Mordell-Lang conjecture (CIT). Here we get this result unconditionally. The field of complex numbers with raising to real powers satisfies the corresponding theory if Schanuel's conjecture holds. In particular, we have proved that a (weaker) version of Schanuel's conjecture implies that every well-defined system of exponential sums with real exponents has a solution in the complex numbers. Recent result by Bays, Kirby and Wilkie states that the required version of Schanuel's conjecture holds for almost every choice of exponents. It follows that for the corresponding choice of real exponents we have an unconditional description of the first order theory of the complex numbers with raising to these powers.

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Full text arXiv 1501.03297: pdf, ps.