On the co-factors of degree 6 Salem number beta expansions

For [Formula: see text], a sequence [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text] is the beta expansion of [Formula: see text] with respect to [Formula: see text] if [Formula: see text]. Defining [Formula: see text] to be the greedy beta expansion of [Formula: see text] with respect to [Formula: see text], it is known that [Formula: see text] is eventually periodic as long as [Formula: see text] is a Pisot number. It is conjectured that the same is true for Salem numbers, but is only currently known to be true for Salem numbers of degree 4. Heuristic arguments suggest that almost all degree 6 Salem numbers admit periodic expansions but that a positive proportion of degree 8 Salem numbers do not. In this paper, we investigate the degree 6 case. We present computational methods for searching for families of degree 6 numbers with eventually periodic greedy expansions by studying the co-factors of their expansions. We also prove that the greedy expansions of degree 6 Salem numbers can have arbitrarily large periods. In addition, computational evidence is compiled on the set of degree 6 Salem numbers with [Formula: see text]. We give examples of numbers with [Formula: see text] whose expansions have period and preperiod lengths exceeding [Formula: see text], yet are still eventually periodic.

The Minimal Growth Rate of Cocompact Coxeter Groups in Hyperbolic 3-space

Due to work of W. Parry it is known that the growth rate of a hyperbolic Coxeter group acting cocompactly on H3 is a Salem number. This being the arithmetic situation, we prove that the simplex group (3,5,3) has the smallest growth rate among all cocompact hyperbolic Coxeter groups, and that it is, as such, unique. Our approach provides a different proof for the analog situation in H2 where E. Hironaka identified Lehmer's number as the minimal growth rate among all cocompact planar hyperbolic Coxeter groups and showed that it is (uniquely) achieved by the Coxeter triangle group (3,7).

On the beta-expansions of 1 and algebraic numbers for a Salem number beta

We study the digits of $\beta $-expansions in the case where $\beta $ is a Salem number. We introduce new upper bounds for the numbers of occurrences of consecutive 0s in the expansion of 1. We also give lower bounds for the numbers of non-zero digits in the $\beta $-expansions of algebraic numbers. As applications, we give criteria for transcendence of the values of power series at certain algebraic points.

A classification of all 1-Salem graphs

One way to study certain classes of polynomials is by considering examples that are attached to combinatorial objects. Any graph $G$ has an associated reciprocal polynomial $R_{G}$, and with two particular classes of reciprocal polynomials in mind one can ask the questions: (a) when is $R_{G}$ a product of cyclotomic polynomials (giving the cyclotomic graphs)? (b) when does $R_{G}$ have the minimal polynomial of a Salem number as its only non-cyclotomic factor (the non-trivial Salem graphs)? Cyclotomic graphs were classified by Smith (Combinatorial structures and their applications, Proceedings of Calgary International Conference, Calgary, AB, 1969 (eds R. Guy, H. Hanani, H. Saver and J. Schönheim; Gordon and Breach, New York, 1970) 403–406); the maximal connected ones are known as Smith graphs. Salem graphs are ‘spectrally close’ to being cyclotomic, in that nearly all their eigenvalues are in the critical interval $[-2,2]$. On the other hand, Salem graphs do not need to be ‘combinatorially close’ to being cyclotomic: the largest cyclotomic induced subgraph might be comparatively tiny.We define an $m$-Salem graph to be a connected Salem graph $G$ for which $m$ is minimal such that there exists an induced cyclotomic subgraph of $G$ that has $m$ fewer vertices than $G$. The $1$-Salem subgraphs are both spectrally close and combinatorially close to being cyclotomic. Moreover, every Salem graph contains a $1$-Salem graph as an induced subgraph, so these $1$-Salem graphs provide some necessary substructure of all Salem graphs. The main result of this paper is a complete combinatorial description of all $1$-Salem graphs: in the non-bipartite case there are $25$ infinite families and $383$ sporadic examples.