Abstract: | LetF(x) =Fx1,…,xn]∈ℤx1,…,xn] be a non-singular form of degree d≥2, and letN(F, X)=#{xεℤ
n
;F(x)=0, |x|⩽X}, where
. It was shown by Fujiwara 4] Upper bounds for the number of lattice points on hypersurfaces,Number theory and combinatorics, Japan, 1984, (World Scientific Publishing Co., Singapore, 1985)] thatN(F, X)≪X
n−2+2/n
for any fixed formF. It is shown here that the exponent may be reduced ton - 2 + 2/(n + 1), forn ≥ 4, and ton - 3 + 15/(n + 5) forn ≥ 8 andd ≥ 3. It is conjectured that the exponentn - 2 + ε is admissable as soon asn ≥ 3. Thus the conjecture is established forn ≥ 10. The proof uses Deligne’s bounds for exponential sums and for the number of points on hypersurfaces over finite fields.
However a composite modulus is used so that one can apply the ‘q-analogue’ of van der Corput’s AB process.
Dedicated to the memory of Professor K G Ramanathan |