Speculations Concerning the Range of Mahler's Measure

Abstract

I would like to express my thanks to the Canadian Mathematical Society for inviting me to present this lecture. I would also like to express my appreciation to C.J. Smyth for numerous helpful conversations during his visit this year at the University of British Columbia.This paper follows reasonably closely the outline of the lecture presented in Ottawa. More details are given here though and a number of proofs which would not be otherwise accessible have been added as Appendices. The attentive reader will soon realize the appropriateness of the title.