Values of transcendental functions at algebraic points

Using geometric tools introduced by P. Cohen, H. Shiga, J. Wolfart and G. Wustholz, we show in Theorem I that when a certain Gauss hypergeometric function takes an algebraic value at an algebraic point, then another Gauss hypergeometric function takes a transcendental value at a related algebraic point. Using Appell hypergeometric functions, which generalize to two variables the Gauss functions, we study values at algebraic points of a new transcendental function defined in terms of these two functions. By Theorem 2, these values correspond to abelian varieties in the same isogeny class. Using a result of Edixhoven-Yafaev [B. Edixhoven, A. Yafaev, Subvarieties of Shimura varieties, Ann. of Math. 157 (2003) 621-645], this last result is in turn related to the distribution of the moduli of such abelian varieties in certain Shimura varieties. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. Tous droits reserves.