Rational approximations on toric varieties (Q2027530)

In the article under review, the author is motivated by the rational curve conjectures of \textit{Y. I. Manin} [Compos. Math. 85, No. 1, 37--55 (1993; Zbl 0780.14022)] and \textit{D. McKinnon} [J. Algebr. Geom. 16, No. 2, 257--303 (2007; Zbl 1140.14016)]. The guiding principal is that the best approximations of a general rational point in a rationally connected variety, defined over a number field \(\mathbf{K}\), should be achieved on the subvarieties that are swept out by small degree free rational curves. The present article builds on the work of \textit{D. McKinnon} and \textit{M. Roth} [Invent. Math. 200, No. 2, 513--583 (2015; Zbl 1337.14023)]. Specifically, the author studies the case of \(\mathbf{K}\)-rational points in split nonsingular toric varieties \(X\). It is required that \(X\) has dimension \(r \geq 2\). Moreover, throughout the article, it is assumed that \(\overline{\operatorname{Eff}}(X)\), the cone of pseudoeffective divisors, is simplicial. The author's main result gives a description of the best approximation rational curves, with respect to ample, and, more generally, nef line bundles, that pass through a given \(\mathbf{K}\)-rational point \(Q\) of the algebraic torus \(\mathbb{G}_m^r \subseteq X\). In more precise terms, for the case of an ample line bundle \(L\), the author proves that the best approximations for \(Q\) are properly achieved on the subvariety that is swept out by the minimal \(L\)-degree free rational curves through \(Q\). One aspect to the proof of this result, involves the theory of universal torsors and the description of height functions on toric varieties, which are given in [\textit{P. Salberger}, Astérisque. 251, 91--258 (1998; Zbl 0959.14007)]. Another is an auxiliary result, which is of an independent interest. It gives necessary and sufficient conditions for positive primitive fan relations to correspond to very free rational curves.