Large arboreal Galois representations (1802.09074v3)

Abstract: Given a field $K$, a polynomial $f \in K[x]$, and a suitable element $t \in K$, the set of preimages of $t$ under the iterates $f^{\circ n}$ carries a natural structure of a $d$-ary tree. We study conditions under which the absolute Galois group of $K$ acts on the tree by the full group of automorphisms. When $K=\mathbb{Q}$ we exhibit examples of polynomials of every even degree with maximal Galois action on the preimage tree, partially affirming a conjecture of Odoni. We also study the case of $K=F(t)$ and $f \in F[x]$ in which the corresponding Galois groups are the monodromy groups of the ramified covers $f^{\circ n}: \mathbb{P}^1_F \to \mathbb{P}^1_F$.