Finiteness Results for Hilbert's Irreducibility Theorem, by Peter Mueller
Let $k$ be a number field, $O$ its ring of integers, and $f(t,X)$ an
irreducible polynomial in $k(t)[X]$. Hilbert's irreducibility theorem
gives infinitely many integral specializations of $t$ to values $a$ in
$O$ such that $f(a,X)$ is still irreducible. In this paper we study
the set $Red(O)$ of those $a$ in $O$ with $f(a,X)$ reducible. We show
that $Red(O)$ is a finite set under rather weak assumptions. In
particular, several results of K. Langmann, obtained by Diophantine
approximation techniques, appear as special cases of some of our
results.
Our method is completely different. We use elementary group theory,
valuation theory, and Siegel's theorem about integral points on
algebraic curves. Indeed, using the Siegel-Lang extension of Siegel's
theorem, most of our results hold over more general fields.
Peter Mueller <Peter.Mueller@iwr.uni-heidelberg.de>