Diophantine approximation with multiplicative functions

Let σ(n) denote the sum of divisors function. Our main result shows that, given any real α > 1 there are infinitely many integers n such that

Diophantine approximation with multiplicative functions

Let σ(n) denote the sum of divisors function. Our main result shows that, given any real α > 1 there are infinitely many integers n such that $$\left|\frac{\sigma(n)}{n}-\alpha \right| < n^{-0.52}.$$ We prove this result by modifying an argument given by Wolke (Monatsh Math 83:163–166, 1977) which in its original form could not produce an exponent greater than 0.5. We also explain how the exponent can be improved to 0.61 on the Riemann Hypothesis.     

A note on simultaneous Diophantine approximation on planar curves

Let denote the set of simultaneously - approximable points in and denote the set of multiplicatively ψ-approximable points in . Let be a manifold in . The aim is to develop a metric theory for the sets and analogous to the classical theory in which is simply . In this note, we mainly restrict our attention to the case that is a planar curve . A complete Hausdorff dimension theory is established for the sets and . A divergent Khintchine type result is obtained for ; i.e. if a certain sum diverges then the one-dimensional Lebesgue measure on of is full. Furthermore, in the case that is a rational quadric the convergent Khintchine type result is obtained for both types of approximation. Our results for naturally generalize the dimension and Lebesgue measure statements of Beresnevich et al. (Mem AMS, 179 (846), 1–91 (2006)). Moreover, within the multiplicative framework, our results for constitute the first of their type. The research of Victor V. Beresnevich was supported by an EPSRC Grant R90727/01. Sanju L. Velani is a Royal Society University Research Fellow. For Iona and Ayesha on No. 3.     

Diophantine exponents of affine subspaces: The simultaneous approximation case

We apply nondivergence estimates for flows on homogeneous spaces to compute Diophantine exponents of affine subspaces of Rn and their nondegenerate submanifolds.     

Diophantine approximation in characteristiep

We study diophantine approximations to algebraic functions in characteristicp. We improve a theorem of Osgood, and give two classes of examples showing that this result is nearly sharp. One of these classes exhibits a new phenomenon.     

Diophantine approximation generalized

In this paper we study the set of x ∈ [0, 1] for which the inequality |x − x _n | < z _n holds for infinitely many n = 1, 2, .... Here x _n ∈ [0, 1) and z _n s> 0, z _n → 0, are sequences. In the first part of the paper we summarize known results. In the second part, using the theory of distribution functions of sequences, we find the asymptotic density of n for which |x − x _n | < z _n , where x is a discontinuity point of some distribution function of x _n . Generally, we also prove, for an arbitrary sequence x _n , that there exists z _n such that the density of n = 1, 2, ..., x _n → x, is the same as the density of n = 1, 2, ..., |x − x _n | < z _n , for x ∈ [0, 1]. Finally we prove, using the longest gap d _n in the finite sequence x ₁, x ₂, ..., x _n , that if d _n ≤ z _n for all n, z _n → 0, and z _n is non-increasing, then |x − x _n | < z _n holds for infinitely many n and for almost all x ∈ [0, 1].     

Diophantine approximation in the Eisensteinian field

A complete determination of the discrete part of the approximation spectrum and the Markoff spectrum is given for the Eisensteinian field.     

Diophantine approximation and self-conformal measures

It is proved that the Hausdorff measure on the limit set of a finite conformal iterated function system is strongly extremal, meaning that almost all points with respect to this measure are not multiplicatively very well approximable. This proves Conjecture 10.6 from (on fractal measures and Diophantine approximation, preprint, 2003). The strong extremality of all (S,P)-invariant measures is established, where S is a finite conformal iterated function system and P is a probability vector. Both above results are consequences of the much more general Theorem 1.5 concerning Gibbs states of Hölder families of functions.     

Diophantine approximation and Cantor sets

We provide an explicit construction of elements of the middle third Cantor set with any prescribed irrationality exponent. This answers a question posed by Kurt Mahler.     

Diophantine approximation on rational quadrics

We compute the Hausdorff dimension of sets of very well approximable vectors on rational quadrics. We use ubiquitous systems and the geometry of locally symmetric spaces. As a byproduct we obtain the Hausdorff dimension of the set of rays with a fixed maximal singular direction, which move away into one end of a locally symmetric space at linear depth, infinitely many times.     

Diophantine approximation with sign constraints

Let $\alpha $ and $\beta $ be real numbers such that $1$ , $\alpha $ and $\beta $ are linearly independent over $\mathbb {Q}$ . A classical result of Dirichlet asserts that there are infinitely many triples of integers $(x_0,x_1,x_2)$ such that $|x_0+\alpha x_1+\beta x_2| < \max \{|x_1|,|x_2|\}^{-2}$ . In 1976, Schmidt asked what can be said under the restriction that $x_1$ and $x_2$ be positive. Upon denoting by $\gamma \cong 1.618$ the golden ratio, he proved that there are triples $(x_0,x_1,x_2) \in \mathbb {Z}^3$ with $x_1,x_2>0$ for which the product $|x_0 + \alpha x_1 + \beta x_2| \max \{|x_1|,|x_2|\}^\gamma $ is arbitrarily small. Although Schmidt later conjectured that $\gamma $ can be replaced by any number smaller than $2$ , Moshchevitin proved very recently that it cannot be replaced by a number larger than $1.947$ . In this paper, we present a construction of points $(1,\alpha ,\beta )$ showing that the result of Schmidt is in fact optimal. These points also possess strong additional Diophantine properties that are described in the paper.     

Nevanlinna theory and Diophantine approximation

We discuss the analogue of the Nevanlinna theory and the theory of Diophan-tine approximation, focussing on the second main theorem and abc-conjecture.     

Diophantine approximation and badly approximable sets

Let (X,d) be a metric space and (Ω,d) a compact subspace of X which supports a non-atomic finite measure m. We consider ‘natural’ classes of badly approximable subsets of Ω. Loosely speaking, these consist of points in Ω which ‘stay clear’ of some given set of points in X. The classical set Bad of ‘badly approximable’ numbers in the theory of Diophantine approximation falls within our framework as do the sets Bad(i,j) of simultaneously badly approximable numbers. Under various natural conditions we prove that the badly approximable subsets of Ω have full Hausdorff dimension. Applications of our general framework include those from number theory (classical, complex, p-adic and formal power series) and dynamical systems (iterated function schemes, rational maps and Kleinian groups).     

Diophantine approximation with mild divisibility constraints

Given an irrational number α and a sequence B of coprime positive integers with the sum of inverses convergent, we investigate the problem of finding small values of nα, with n B-free.