Hausdorff dimension of Gauss-Cantor sets and two applications to classical Lagrange and Markov spectra (Q2089665)

Let \[ L := \Big\{\limsup_{\substack{p,q \to \infty \\ p \in \mathbb{Z},q \in \mathbb{N}}} \frac{1}{\lvert q^2\alpha - pg\rvert} < \infty: \alpha \in \mathbb{R}\Big\} \] and \[ M := \Big\{\sup_{\substack{(p,q) \in \mathbb{Z}^2\\ (p,q) \neq (0,0)}} \frac{1}{\lvert ap^2 + bpq + cq^2\rvert} < \infty: ax^2 + bxy + cy^2 \text{ real indefinite, } b^2 - 4ac = 1\Big\} \] denote the classical Lagrange respectively Markov spectrum and let \(\dim_{H}(X)\) denote the Hausdorff dimension of \(X\). As it was shown in [\textit{C. Moreira}, Ann. Math. (2) 188, No. 1, 145--170 (2018; Zbl 1404.11095)], for any \(t > 0\), \(\dim_{H}((-\infty,t]\cap M) = \dim_{H}((-\infty,t]\cap L)\) and \(f(t) := \dim_{H}((-\infty,t]\cap M)\) is continuous and non-decreasing. In the first main statement (Theorem 2.1), the authors consider \(t_1 := \inf\{t \in \mathbb{R}: f(t) = 1\}\) and prove that \(t_1 = 3.3334384\ldots.\) This confirms heuristic bounds obtained by \textit{R. T. Bumby} [J. Reine Angew. Math. 331, 192--206 (1982; Zbl 0468.10032)] and improves the currently best rigorous upper and lower bounds by \textit{M. Hall jun.} [Acta Arith. 18, 387--399 (1971; Zbl 0224.10023)] and \textit{C. Moreira} [Ann. Math. (2) 188, No. 1, 145--170 (2018; Zbl 1404.11095)] given by \(\sqrt{10} = 3.162277\ldots < t_1 < \sqrt{12} = 3.464101\ldots\). By a similar approach, the values \(\inf\{t \in \mathbb{R}: f(t) = \frac{n}{k}\}, k = 1,2,\ldots,n-1\) are approximated, with the approximate plot of \(f\) being shown in the article (Figure 1). The second main statement (Theorem 3.1) treats the Hausdorff dimension of \(M\setminus L\). The authors show that \(0.537152 < \dim_{H}(M \setminus L) < 0.796445\) which improves the currently best bounds \(0.5312 < \dim_{H}(M \setminus L) < 0.8823\) due to \textit{C. Matheus} and \textit{C. G. Moreira} [Comment. Math. Helv. 95, No. 3, 593--633 (2020; Zbl 1465.11165)] and \textit{M. Pollicott} and \textit{P. Vytnova} [``Hausdorff dimension estimates applied to Lagrange and Markov spectra, Zaremba theory, and limit sets of Fuchsian groups'', Trans. Am. Math. Soc., Ser. B 9, 1102--1159 (2022; Zbl 07638529)]. Both proofs are computer-assisted and could be refined when using additional computational resources.