The degree-eight distinct-diagonal reducibility conjecture for Jacobi spectral curves

Consider a connected degree-eight Jacobi pencil with pairwise distinct diagonal entries:

aiaj(ij),b1b70.a_i\ne a_j\quad(i\ne j),\qquad b_1\cdots b_7\ne0.

A constant branch is a factor arising from a root λ=aj\lambda=-a_j that persists for all values of the spectral parameter, and reversal symmetry is the decomposition of a palindromic block into its symmetric and anti-symmetric parts.

Degree-eight distinct-diagonal test case. Every reducible connected degree-eight spectral curve is obtained from a constant branch or from reversal symmetry. In particular, there is no primitive non-palindromic 4+44+4 or 3+53+5 splitting with pairwise distinct diagonal entries.

The claim concerns the remaining Hensel-lifting possibilities after constant branches and reversal-symmetric factorizations are accounted for. The source describes these cases as expected and gives no proof or resolution.

Sources & referencesView supporting material

Primary source

B. Shapiro, “Reducibility of spectral curves of finite Jacobi pencils”, arXiv:2605.14817 (2026).

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