Positive values of non-homogeneous indefinite quadratic forms. II (Q792373)

(a) Let \(\Gamma_{r,n-r}\) denote the infimum of all numbers \(\Gamma\) such that for any real indefinite quadratic form \(Q(x_ 1,...,x_ n)\) in n variables of type (r,n-r) and determinant \(D\neq 0\) and any real numbers \(c_ 1,...,c_ n\) there exist integers \(x_ 1,...,x_ n\) such that \[ 0<Q(x_ 1+c_ 1,...,x_ n+c_ n)\leq(\Gamma | D|)^{1/n}. \] In Part I we determine \(\Gamma_{r,n-r}\) for forms of signature \(s=2r-n=1,2\quad or\quad 3.\) We show that \(\Gamma_{r,n- r}=2^ n/(s+1)\). The corresponding result for forms of signature 0 is contained in an earlier paper of the authors [J. Number Theory 16, 403- 419 (1983; Zbl 0514.10024)]. Besides using techniques similar to those of \textit{B. J. Birch} [Acta Arith. 4, 85-98 (1958; Zbl 0080.034)] we use a Lemma of \textit{A. M. Macbeath} [Proc. Camb. Philos. Soc. 47, 266-273 (1951; Zbl 0042.046), Lemma 6] on parabolic regions. (b) In Part II we determine \(\Gamma_{r,r+1}\) for \(r\geq 2\). We prove that \(\Gamma_{2,3}=(7/4)^ 5\) and show that this minimum is isolated and the second minimum for forms of type (2,3) is 16. We use this result to show that \(\Gamma_{r,r+1}=2^{2r}\) for all \(r\geq 3\).