Solving algebraic equations in roots of unity

Abstract

This paper is devoted to finding solutions of polynomial equations in roots of unity. It was conjectured by S. Lang and proved by M. Laurent that all such solutions can be described in terms of a finite number of parametric families called maximal torsion cosets. We obtain new explicit upper bounds for the number of maximal torsion cosets on an algebraic subvariety of the complex algebraic $n$-torus ${\mathbb G}_{\rm m}^n$. In contrast to earlier works that give the bounds of polynomial growth in the maximum total degree of defining polynomials, the proofs of our results are constructive. This allows us to obtain a new algorithm for determining maximal torsion cosets on an algebraic subvariety of ${\mathbb G}_{\rm m}^n$.