We formulate a general question regarding the size of the iterated Galois groups associated to an algebraic dynamical system and then we discuss some special cases of our question.
Let $K$ be the function field of a smooth, irreducible curve defined over $overline{mathbb{Q}}$. Let $fin K[x]$ be of the form $f(x)=x^q+c$ where $q = p^{r}, r ge 1,$ is a power of the prime number $p$, and let $betain overline{K}$. For all $ninmathb
b{N}cup{infty}$, the Galois groups $G_n(beta)=mathop{rm{Gal}}(K(f^{-n}(beta))/K(beta))$ embed into $[C_q]^n$, the $n$-fold wreath product of the cyclic group $C_q$. We show that if $f$ is not isotrivial, then $[[C_q]^infty:G_infty(beta)]<infty$ unless $beta$ is postcritical or periodic. We are also able to prove that if $f_1(x)=x^q+c_1$ and $f_2(x)=x^q+c_2$ are two such distinct polynomials, then the fields $bigcup_{n=1}^infty K(f_1^{-n}(beta))$ and $bigcup_{n=1}^infty K(f_2^{-n}(beta))$ are disjoint over a finite extension of $K$.
Given a number field $K$ and a polynomial $f(z) in K[z]$ of degree at least 2, one can construct a finite directed graph $G(f,K)$ whose vertices are the $K$-rational preperiodic points for $f$, with an edge $alpha to beta$ if and only if $f(alpha) =
beta$. Restricting to quadratic polynomials, the dynamical uniform boundedness conjecture of Morton and Silverman suggests that for a given number field $K$, there should only be finitely many isomorphism classes of directed graphs that arise in this way. Poonen has given a conjecturally complete classification of all such directed graphs over $mathbb{Q}$, while recent work of the author, Faber, and Krumm has provided a detailed study of this question for all quadratic extensions of $mathbb{Q}$. In this article, we give a conjecturally complete classification like Poonens, but over the cyclotomic quadratic fields $mathbb{Q}(sqrt{-1})$ and $mathbb{Q}(sqrt{-3})$. The main tools we use are dynamical modular curves and results concerning quadratic points on curves.
Motivated by the dynamical uniform boundedness conjecture of Morton and Silverman, specifically in the case of quadratic polynomials, we give a formal construction of a certain class of dynamical analogues of classical modular curves. The preperiodic
points for a quadratic polynomial map may be endowed with the structure of a directed graph satisfying certain strict conditions; we call such a graph admissible. Given an admissible graph $G$, we construct a curve $X_1(G)$ whose points parametrize quadratic polynomial maps -- which, up to equivalence, form a one-parameter family -- together with a collection of marked preperiodic points that form a graph isomorphic to $G$. Building on work of Bousch and Morton, we show that these curves are irreducible in characteristic zero, and we give an application of irreducibility in the setting of number fields. We end with a discussion of the Galois theory associated to the preperiodic points of quadratic polynomials, including a certain Galois representation that arises naturally in this setting.
