The asymptotic estimates and Hasse principle for multidimensional Waring's problem (Q2319873)

This paper concerns the multi-dimensional Waring problem. For \(d,k\ge 1\) let \(\mathbf{i}\) run over the set \(\mathcal{M}\) of \(d\)-tuples of non-negative integers summing to \(k\), and write \[ \mathbf{x}^{\mathbf{i}}=x_1^{i_1}\ldots x_k^{i_k}, \] where \(\mathbf{x}=(x_1,\ldots,x_k)\in\mathbb{N}^k\). One is then interested in the solvability of the system of equations \[\mathbf{x}_1^{\mathbf{i}}+\ldots+\mathbf{x}_s^{\mathbf{i}}=n_{\mathbf{i}}, \;\;\;(\mathbf{i}\in\mathcal{M})\tag{*} \] for given \(d,k\) and \(s\). When \(s\) is sufficiently large in terms of \(d\) and \(k\) there is a Hardy-Littlewood type ``asymptotic formula'' for the number of solutions with variables \(0x_{hj}\le P\), as \(P\to\infty\). To obtain a true asymptotic one needs to understand the behaviour of the singular series, and this is the purpose of the present paper. Standard methods suffice provided one knows that there is a nonsingular solution in each completion, but one would like to avoid this nonsingularity condition. The first result of the paper says that the system (*) always has a \(p\)-adic integer solution when \(s\ge 4k\#\mathcal{M}\). Moreover if \(\gamma(p,d,k)\) is the least \(s\) such that (*) is solvable for every \(\mathbf{n}\), then there is a nonsingular solution for ever \(\mathbf{n}\) as soon as \(s\ge\gamma(p,d,k)+\#\mathcal{M}\). Finally, when \(s\ge\gamma(p,d,k)+\#\mathcal{M}\) the \(p\)-adic density of solutions is bounded below by a constant \(C(s,k,d,p)0\) independent of \(\mathbf{n}\). A second theorem goes on to say that when \(k,d\ge 2\) and \(s\ge (4k+1)\#\mathcal{M}\), the singular product may be bounded above and below by positive constants depending only on \(s,k\) and \(d\). As a result one gets a Hasse principle, at least when \(d=2\) and \(s\) is large enough compared to \(k\), via work of \textit{S. T. Parsell} [J. Reine Angew. Math. 532, 47--104 (2001; Zbl 1021.11024)]. The paper also considers the situation in which the integers are replaced by a function field \(\mathbb{F}_q[t]\). Results of a similar type, but in some senses stronger, are obtained.