Approximating reals by sums of rationals (Q999710): Difference between revisions

The author considers the question of approximating any real number \(\alpha\) by sums of \(n\) rational numbers \(\frac{a_1}{q_1}+\frac{a_2}{q_2}+\dots+\frac{a_n}{q_n}\) with denominators \(1\leq q_1,q_2,\dots,q_n\leq N\). Let \(\varepsilon\) denotes a small positive number. \(f(x)\ll g(x)\) means that \(|f(x)|\leq C\, g(x)\) for some positive constant \(C>0\). \(f(x)\ll_\varepsilon g(x)\) means that the constant \(C=C_\varepsilon\) may depend on the parameter \(\epsilon\). Let \(\omega(n)\) be the number of distinct prime factors of the integer \(n\). A rational number is \(y\)-smooth if all its prime factors are less than or equal to \(y\). In [J. Number Theory 128, No. 5, 1182--1194 (2008; Zbl 1141.11037)], the author generalized Dirichlet's diophantine approximation theorem by setting the question to find a good upper bound for \(|\alpha-\frac{a_1}{q_1}-\frac{a_2}{q_2}|\) with integers \(a_1,a_2\) and \(1\leq q_1,q_2\leq N\). Towards it, he proved: Theorem. For any \(\varepsilon>0\) and any \(N\geq 1\), suppose \(\alpha\) has a rational approximation \(|\alpha-\frac{a}{q}|\leq \frac{1}{qN^{3/2}}\) for some integers \(a,\;1\leq q\leq N^{3/2}\) and \((a,q)=1\). Then \[ \left|\alpha-\frac{a_1}{q_1}-\frac{a_2}{q_2}\right|\ll_\varepsilon\frac{1}{qN^{3/2-\varepsilon}} \] for some integers \(a_1,a_2, 1\leq q_1,q_2\leq N\). In this article, the author sets the question to find a good upper bound for \(|\alpha-\frac{a_1}{q_1}-\frac{a_2}{q_2}-\dots-\frac{a_n}{q_n}|\) with integers \(a_1,a_2,\dots, a_n\) and \(1\leq q_1,q_2,\dots, q_n\leq N\). Towards it, he proves: Theorem. Let \(\varepsilon>0\) and \(N\geq 1\) be any real numbers. For any positive integer \(2\leq n\leq \frac{\varepsilon \log N}{6\log \log N}\), let \(k(n):=\frac{3n}{4}-\frac{[n/3]+1}{4}.\) Suppose that \(\alpha\) has a rational approximation \(|\alpha-\frac{a}{q}|\leq\frac{1}{q N^{k(n)}}\) for some integers \(a, 1\leq q\leq N^{k(n)}\) and \((a,q)=1\). Then \[ \left|\alpha-\frac{a_1}{q_1}-\frac{a_2}{q_2}-\dots-\frac{a_n}{q_n}\right|\ll_\varepsilon\frac{1}{qN^{k(n)-\varepsilon}}. \] The author gives several generalizations for approximation by rational numbers with a prescribed number of prime factors in the denominator as well as by rational numbers with \textit{smooth} denominators. Corollary. Let \(n\geq 2\) be any fixed integer and \(\varepsilon>0\). If \(\alpha\) is irrational then there exist infinitely many rational approximations \(\frac{A}{Q}\) with \((A,Q)=1\) and \(\omega(Q)=n\) such that \(|\alpha-\frac{A}{Q}|\ll_\varepsilon\frac{1}{Q^{2k(n)/n-\varepsilon}}\). Corollary. Let \(\varepsilon>0\). If \(\alpha\) is irrational then there exist infinitely many rational numbers \(\frac{A}{Q}\) with \((A,Q)=1\) and \(Q\) is \(2e^{\sqrt{\frac{14}{\varepsilon} \log Q\log \log Q}}\)-smooth such that \(|\alpha-\frac{A}{Q}|\ll_\varepsilon\frac{1}{Q^{4/3-\varepsilon}}\).