Quadratic polynomials represented by norm forms (Q1930901)

The paper is concerned with the Hasse principle and weak approximation for the class of varieties satisfying the Diophantine equation \[ P(t)={\mathbf N}_{K/k}(x_1,\dots,x_n)\neq 0, \tag{1} \] where \({\mathbf N}_{K/k}\) is a full norm form for an extension \(K/k\) of number fields and \(P(t)\) is a polynomial in \(k[t]\). A small number of results are known, and they mainly concern the cases where the polynomial \(P(t)\) splits completely over \(k\) with at most two roots. Other positive results have been obtained when \([K:k]\) is prime or the Galois group of the normal closure of \(K/k\) has cyclic Sylow subgroups. For this reason, the authors concentrate on the case where \(P(t)\) is irreducible of degree 2 and the extension \(K/k\) does not necessarily fall into the known cases. The main result of the paper can be stated as follows: Let \(P(t)\in{\mathbb Q}[t]\) be an irreducible quadratic polynomial and let \(K\) be a quartic extension of \({\mathbb Q}\) containing a root of \(P(t)\). Suppose that, for every valuation \(v\) of \({\mathbb Q}\), we are given a solution \((t_v,{\mathbf x}_v)\in {\mathbb Q}_v^5\) of (1). Let \(S\) be any finite set of valuations of \({\mathbb Q}\) and let \(\varepsilon>0\). Then there is a solution \((t,{\mathbf x})\in {\mathbb Q}^5\) of (1) such that \[ |t-t_v|_v<\varepsilon, \qquad |{\mathbf x} - {\mathbf x}_v|_v<\varepsilon, \] for every \(v\in S\). Thus the Hasse principle and the weak approximation hold for (1). The proof of the main theorem is based on analytic number theory, and in particular it is inspired by the paper [\textit{E. Fouvry} and \textit{H. Iwaniec}, Acta Arith. 79, No. 3, 249--287 (1997; Zbl 0881.11070)].