We give new lower bounds for the fragments of the Ideal Proof System (IPS) introduced by Grochow and Pitassi [Joshua A. Grochow and Toniann Pitassi, 2018]. The Ideal Proof System is a central topic in algebraic proof complexity developed in the context of Nullstellensatz refutation [Paul Beame et al., 1994] and simulates Extended Frege efficiently. Our main results are as follows. - mult-IPS_{Lin'}: We prove nearly quadratic-size formula lower bound for multilinear refutation (over the Boolean hypercube) of a variant of the subset-sum axiom polynomial. Extending this, we obtain a nearly matching qualitative statement for a constant degree target polynomial. - IPS_{Lin'}: Over the fields of characteristic zero, we prove exponential-size sum-of-ROABPs lower bound for the refutation of a variant of the subset-sum axiom polynomial. The result also extends over the fields of positive characteristics when the target polynomial is suitably modified. The modification is inspired by the recent results [Tuomas Hakoniemi et al., 2024; Amik Raj Behera et al., 2025]. The mult-IPS_{Lin'} lower bound result is obtained by combining the quadratic-size formula lower bound technique of Kalorkoti [Kalorkoti, 1985] with some additional ideas. The proof technique of IPS_{Lin'} lower bound result is inspired by the recent lower bound result of Chatterjee, Kush, Saraf and Shpilka [Prerona Chatterjee et al., 2024].

Newton iteration is an almost 350-year-old recursive formula that approximates a simple root of a polynomial quite rapidly. We generalize it to a matrix recurrence (allRootsNI) that approximates all roots simultaneously. In this form, the process yields better circuit complexity in the case when the number of rootsris small but the multiplicities are exponentially large. Our method sets up a linear system inrunknowns and iteratively builds the roots as formal power series. For an algebraic circuit \( f(x_1,\ldots ,x_n) \) of sizes, we prove that each factor has size at most a polynomial insand the degree of the squarefree part off. Consequently, if \( f_1 \) is a \( 2^{\Omega (n)} \) -hard polynomial, then any nonzero multiple \( \prod _{i} f_i^{e_i} \) is equally hard for arbitrary positive \( e_i \) ’s, assuming that \( \sum _i\deg (f_i) \) is at most \( 2^{O(n)} \) . It is an old open question whether the class of poly(n) size formulas (respectively, algebraic branching programs) is closed under factoring. We show that given a polynomialfof degree \( n^{O(1)} \) and formula (respectively, algebraic branching program) size \( n^{O(\log n)} \) , we can find a similar-size formula (respectively, algebraic branching program) factor in randomized poly( \( n^{\log n} \) ) time. Consequently, if the determinant requires an \( n^{\Omega (\log n)} \) size formula, then the same can be said about any of its nonzero multiples. In all of our proofs, we exploit the following property of multivariate polynomial factorization. Under a random linear transformation \( \tau \) , the polynomial \( f(\tau \overline{x}) \) completely factors via power series roots. Moreover, the factorization adapts well to circuit complexity analysis. Therefore, with the help of the strong mathematical characterizations and the ‘allRootsNI’ technique, we make significant progress towards the old open problems; supplementing the vast body of classical results and concepts in algebraic circuit factorization (e.g., [ 17 , 51 , 54 , 111 ]).

Given polynomials f,g,h ∈ 𝔽[x₁,…,x_n] such that f = g/h, where both g and h are computable by arithmetic circuits of size s, we show that f can be computed by a circuit of size poly(s,deg(h)). This solves a special case of division elimination for high-degree circuits (Kaltofen'87 & WACT'16). The result is an exponential improvement over Strassen’s classic result (Strassen'73) when deg(h) is poly(s) and deg(f) is exp(s), since the latter gives an upper bound of poly(s, deg(f)). Further, we show that any univariate polynomial family (f_d)_d, defined by the initial segment of the power series expansion of rational function g_d(x)/h_d(x) up to degree d (i.e. f_d = g_d/h_d od x^{d+1}), where circuit size of g is s_d and degree of g_d is at most d, can be computed by a circuit of size poly(s_d,deg(h_d),log d). We also show a hardness result when the degrees of the rational functions are high (i.e. Ω (d)), assuming hardness of the integer factorization problem. Finally, we extend this conditional hardness to simple algebraic functions as well, and show that for every prime p, there is an integral algebraic power series with its minimal polynomial satisfying a degree p polynomial equation, such that its initial segment is hard to compute unless integer factoring is easy, or a multiple of n! is easy to compute. Both, integer factoring and computation of multiple of n!, are believed to be notoriously hard. In contrast, we show examples of transcendental power series whose initial segments are easy to compute.

Abstract Given a multivariate polynomial computed by an arithmetic branching program (ABP) of size s, we show that all its factors can be computed by arithmetic branching programs of size poly(s). Kaltofen gave a similar result for polynomials computed by arithmetic circuits. The previously known best upper bound for ABP-factors was poly $$ (s^{ {\rm \log} s}) $$ ( s log s ) .

Given a multivariate polynomial computed by an arithmetic branching program (ABP) of size s, we show that all its factors can be computed by arithmetic branching programs of size poly(s). Kaltofen gave a similar result for polynomials computed by arithmetic circuits. The previously known best upper bound for ABP-factors was poly(s^(log s)).

Testing whether a set f of polynomials has an algebraic dependence is a basic problem with several applications. The polynomials are given as algebraic circuits. Algebraic independence testing question is wide open over finite fields (Dvir, Gabizon, Wigderson, FOCS'07). Previously, the best complexity known was NP^{#P} (Mittmann, Saxena, Scheiblechner, Trans.AMS'14). In this work we put the problem in AM cap coAM. In particular, dependence testing is unlikely to be NP-hard and joins the league of problems of "intermediate" complexity, eg. graph isomorphism & integer factoring. Our proof method is algebro-geometric- estimating the size of the image/preimage of the polynomial map f over the finite field. A gap in this size is utilized in the AM protocols. Next, we study the open question of testing whether every annihilator of f has zero constant term (Kayal, CCC'09). We give a geometric characterization using Zariski closure of the image of f; introducing a new problem called approximate polynomials satisfiability (APS). We show that APS is NP-hard and, using projective algebraic-geometry ideas, we put APS in PSPACE (prior best was EXPSPACE via Gröbner basis computation). As an unexpected application of this to approximative complexity theory we get- over any field, hitting-sets for overline{VP} can be verified in PSPACE. This solves an open problem posed in (Mulmuley, FOCS'12, J.AMS 2017); greatly mitigating the GCT Chasm (exponentially in terms of space complexity).

Newton iteration (NI) is an almost 350 years old recursive formula that approximates a simple root of a polynomial quite rapidly. We generalize it to a matrix recurrence (allRootsNI) that approximates all the roots simultaneously. In this form, the process yields a better circuit complexity in the case when the number of roots r is small but the multiplicities are exponentially large. Our method sets up a linear system in r unknowns and iteratively builds the roots as formal power series. For an algebraic circuit f(x1,…,xn) of size s we prove that each factor has size at most a polynomial in: s and the degree of the squarefree part of f. Consequently, if f1 is a 2Ω(n)-hard polynomial then any nonzero multiple ∏i fiei is equally hard for arbitrary positive ei’s, assuming that ∑ideg(fi) is at most 2O(n).

The motivation for this work comes from two problems--test algebraic independence of arithmetic circuits over a field of small characteristic, and generalize the structural property of algebraic dependence used by (Kumar, Saraf CCC'16) to arbitrary fields. It is known that in the case of zero, or large characteristic, using a classical criterion based on the Jacobian, we get a randomized poly-time algorithm to test algebraic independence. Over small characteristic, the Jacobian criterion fails and there is no subexponential time algorithm known. This problem could well be conjectured to be in RP, but the current best algorithm puts it in NP^#P (Mittmann, Saxena, Scheiblechner Trans.AMS'14). Currently, even the case of two bivariate circuits over F_2 is open. We come up with a natural generalization of Jacobian criterion, that works over all characteristic. The new criterion is efficient if the underlying inseparable degree is promised to be a constant. This is a modest step towards the open question of fast independence testing, over finite fields, posed in (Dvir, Gabizon, Wigderson FOCS'07). In a set of linearly dependent polynomials, any polynomial can be written as a linear combination of the polynomials forming a basis. The analogous property for algebraic dependence is false, but a property approximately in that spirit is named as ``functional dependence'' in (Kumar, Saraf CCC'16) and proved for zero or large characteristic. We show that functional dependence holds for arbitrary fields, thereby answering the open questions in (Kumar, Saraf CCC'16). Following them we use the functional dependence lemma to prove the first exponential lower bound for locally low algebraic rank circuits for arbitrary fields (a model that strongly generalizes homogeneous depth-4 circuits). We also recover their quasipoly-time hitting-set for such models, for fields of characteristic smaller than the ones known before. Our results show that approximate functional dependence is indeed a more fundamental concept than the Jacobian as it is field independent. We achieve the former by first picking a ``good'' transcendence basis, then translating the circuits by new variables, and finally approximating them by truncating higher degree monomials. We give a tight analysis of the ``degree'' of approximation needed in the criterion. To get the locally low algebraic rank circuit applications we follow the known shifted partial derivative based methods.