Hilbert’s tenth problem via additive combinatorics

Abstract

For all infinite rings <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="upper R"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mi>R</mml:mi> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">R</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> that are finitely generated over <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="double-struck upper Z"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mml:mi mathvariant="double-struck">Z</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\mathbb {Z}</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> , we show that Hilbert’s tenth problem has a negative answer. This is accomplished by constructing elliptic curves <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="upper E"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mi>E</mml:mi> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">E</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> without rank growth in certain quadratic extensions <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="upper L slash upper K"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>L</mml:mi> <mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mml:mo>/</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:mi>K</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">L/K</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> . To achieve such a result unconditionally, our key innovation is to combine techniques from additive combinatorics with <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="2"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">2</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> -descent.