Integral points on varieties defined by matrix factorization into elementary matrices (Q2197521)

The long line of research on the classical problem of boundedly generating matrices in \(\mathrm{SL}_2\) over rings of \(S\)-integers \(O\) of number fields by elementary matrices culminated in the work of \textit{A. Morgan} et al. [Algebra Number Theory 12, No. 8, 1949--1974 (2018; Zbl 1448.11198)]. It was proved, in particular, using algebraic number theory that \(9\) elementary matrices suffice for any element of \(\mathrm{SL}_2(O)\) when \(O^{\ast}\) is infinite. The paper under review belongs to a series of papers by the authors extending and elaborating on the above result. In this paper, the authors use relatively elementary methods of matrix factorization to articulate this in a certain sense; they show that the corresponding varieties are not just non-empty but are Zariski dense.