Infinite collision conjecture over the algebraic closure of a finite field

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Let d≥2d\ge 2 be an integer that is not a power of pp, and let α1,α2,β∈F‾p\alpha_1,\alpha_2,\beta\in\overline{\mathbb F}_p. For each λ∈F‾p\lambda\in\overline{\mathbb F}_p, let fλ(z)=zd+λf_\lambda(z)=z^d+\lambda, and define

C(α1,α2;β)={λ∈F‾p:fλm(α1)=fλn(α2)=β for some m,n∈N}.C(\alpha_1,\alpha_2;\beta)=\left\{\lambda\in\overline{\mathbb F}_p: f_\lambda^m(\alpha_1)=f_\lambda^n(\alpha_2)=\beta\text{ for some }m,n\in\mathbb{N}\right\}.

Infinite collision conjecture. The set C(α1,α2;β)C(\alpha_1,\alpha_2;\beta) is infinite. The conjecture reverses the expectation stated immediately beforehand, which predicted finiteness when α1d≠α2d\alpha_1^d\ne\alpha_2^d; the source reports extensive computation but gives no proof or resolution.

References

Primary source

Shamil Asgarli and Dragos Ghioca, “Collision of orbits for families of polynomials defined over fields of positive characteristic”, arXiv:2508.06279 (2026).

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