Diophantine inequalities and quasi-algebraically closed fields (Q375811)

Let \({\mathbb F}_q\) denote the finite field with \(q\) elements, and write \({\mathbb K}_{\infty}={\mathbb F}_q((1/t))\) for the completion at \(\infty\) of the field of fractions of the polynomial ring \({\mathbb F}_q[t]\). Then every \(\alpha \in {\mathbb K}\) can be expressed in the shape \(\alpha = \sum_{j \leqslant n} a_j t^j\) with \(a_j \in {\mathbb F}_q\) and \(a_n \neq 0\), and we set \(\text{ord} \, \alpha = -n\). For a fixed real number \(\gamma > 1\), define the norm of \(\alpha\) by \(\langle \alpha \rangle = \gamma^{-\text{ord} \, \alpha}\). Suppose that \(s > d^2\), and consider a polynomial \(F \in {\mathbb K}_{\infty}[x_1, \dots, x_s]\) of degree \(d\) with zero constant term, whose coefficients have norms bounded above by \(H\). The authors prove that whenever \(0 < \varepsilon \leqslant \gamma^{-d} H\), the inequality \(\langle F({\mathbf x}) \rangle < \varepsilon\) has a solution \({\mathbf x} \in {\mathbb F}_q[t]^s\) with \(0 < \text{max}_{1 \leqslant i \leqslant s} \langle x_i \rangle \leqslant (H/\varepsilon)^{d/(s-d^2)}\). Moreover, the latter bound on the size of the solutions is shown to be essentially best possible in the case where \(\varepsilon = 1\). Previously, the first author [Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 41, No. 2, 341--353 (2009; Zbl 1254.11037)] had used the circle method to study inequalities involving diagonal forms over \({\mathbb K}_{\infty}\). Here the authors instead apply the theory of \(C_i\)-fields due to \textit{S. Lang} [Ann. Math. (2) 55, 373--390 (1952; Zbl 0046.26202)] and \textit{M. Nagata} [Mem. Coll. Sci., Univ. Kyoto, Ser. A 30, 237--241 (1957; Zbl 0080.03102)]. As a consequence, the authors obtain conclusions that are not only stronger than those available for the analogous problems with \({\mathbb F}_q[t]\) replaced by \({\mathbb Z}\) but also valid for quasi-algebraically closed ground fields more general than \({\mathbb F}_q\). By means of a similar argument, the authors also obtain analogues of the familiar results on mod 1 distribution of polynomial sequences.