Polynomial lemniscate

In mathematics, a polynomial lemniscate or polynomial level curve is a plane algebraic curve of degree 2n, constructed from a polynomial p with complex coefficients of degree n.

For any such polynomial p and positive real number c, we may define a set of complex numbers by |p(z)| = c. This set of numbers may be equated to points in the real Cartesian plane, leading to an algebraic curve ƒ(x, y) = c2 of degree 2n, which results from expanding out p(z) \bar p(\bar z) in terms of z = x + iy.

When p is a polynomial of degree 1 then the resulting curve is simply a circle whose center is the zero of p. When p is a polynomial of degree 2 then the curve is a Cassini oval.

Erdős lemniscate

A conjecture of Erdős which has attracted considerable interest concerns the maximum length of a polynomial lemniscate ƒ(x, y) = 1 of degree 2n when p is monic, which Erdős conjectured was attained when p(z) = zn − 1. In the case when n = 2, the Erdős lemniscate is the Lemniscate of Bernoulli

(x^2%2By^2)^2=2(x^2-y^2)\,

and it has been proven that this is indeed the maximal length in degree four. The Erdős lemniscate has three ordinary n-fold points, one of which is at the origin, and a genus of (n − 1)(n − 2)/2. By inverting the Erdős lemniscate in the unit circle, one obtains a nonsingular curve of degree n.

Generic polynomial lemniscate

In general, a polynomial lemniscate will not touch at the origin, and will have only two ordinary n-fold singularities, and hence a genus of (n − 1)2. As a real curve, it can have a number of disconnected components. Hence, it will not look like a lemniscate, making the name something of a misnomer.

An interesting example of such polynomial lemniscates are the Mandelbrot curves. If we set p0 = z, and pn = pn−12 + z, then the corresponding polynomial lemniscates Mn defined by |pn(z)| = ER converge to the boundary of the Mandelbrot set. If ER < 2 they are inside, if ER ≥ 2 they are outside of Mandelbrot set. The Mandelbrot curves are of degree 2n+1, with two 2n-fold ordinary multiple points, and a genus of (2n − 1)2.

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