UNIMODULAR INTEGER CIRCULANTS ASSOCIATED WITH TRINOMIALS

Abstract

The n × n circulant matrix associated with the polynomial [Formula: see text] (with d < n) is the one with first row (a0 ⋯ ad 0 ⋯ 0). The problem as to when such circulants are unimodular arises in the theory of cyclically presented groups and leads to the following question, previously studied by Odoni and Cremona: when is Res (f(t), tn-1) = ±1? We give a complete answer to this question for trinomials f(t) = tm ± tk ± 1. Our main result was conjectured by the author in an earlier paper and (with two exceptions) implies the classification of the finite Cavicchioli–Hegenbarth–Repovš generalized Fibonacci groups, thus giving an almost complete answer to a question of Bardakov and Vesnin.