A note on logarithmic equidistribution

Abstract

For every algebraic number $\kappa$ on the unit circle which is not a root of unity we prove the existence of a strict sequence of algebraic numbers whose height tends to zero, such that the averages of the evaluation of $f_\kappa(z)=\log|z -\kappa|$ in the conjugates are essentially bounded from above by $-h(\kappa)$. This completes a characterisation on functions $f_\kappa$ initiated by Autissier and Baker-Masser, who cover the cases $\kappa=2$ and $|\kappa|\ne 1$ respectively. Using the same ideas we also prove analogues in the $p$-adic setting.