On points with algebraically conjugate coordinates close to smooth curves (Q2404841)

The authors give a lower bound on the number of points in \({\mathbb R}^2\) whose coordinates are algebraic conjugates of bounded degree and naive height, and which are close to a given smooth curve. Specifically, for a bounded interval \(J \subseteq {\mathbb R}\) and a continuously differentiable function \(f : J \rightarrow {\mathbb R}\) with only a finite number of \(x \in J\) such that \(f(x) = x\), let \[ L_J(Q, \lambda) = \left\{ (x_1, x_2) \in {\mathbb R}^2 : | x_2 - f(x_1) | < C Q^{-\lambda}, x_1 \in J\right\}, \] where \(C > 0\) is a constant depending on \(f\) and certain other parameters in the proof, \(Q \in {\mathbb N}\) and \(0 < \lambda < 3/4\). Furthermore, let \({\mathbb A}_n^2(Q)\) denote the set of points \((\alpha_1, \alpha_2)\) for which there is an integer polynomial \(P\) of degree at most \(n\) and naive height at most \(Q\) with \(P(\alpha_1) = P(\alpha_2) = 0\). The main result of the paper under review states that there are constants \(C' > 0\) and \(Q_0 > 0\), such that whenever \(Q > Q_0\), \[ \# {\mathbb A}_n^2(Q) \cap L_J(Q, \lambda) \geq C' Q^{n+1-\lambda}. \] The main result is derived from two additional results which give lower bounds on the number of points from \({\mathbb A}_n^2(Q)\) in rectangles away from the diagonal and of side lengths \(c_i Q^{-s_i}\), \(i = 1,2\), with \(0 < s_1 + s_2 \leq 1\); as well as in squares away from the diagonal of side length \(c_3 Q^{-s}\) with \(1/2 < s < 3/4\), with the squares not containing points for which there is a quadratic integer polynomial of height at most \(Q\), whose derivative is small at both coordinates of the point, and whose leading coefficient is not too large. The proofs of these two results are rather technical and depend on (among other things) Sprindžuk's method of essential and inessential domains.