Density of integer solutions to diagonal quadratic forms (Q2466364)

Let \(Q({\mathbf x})= A_1x^2_1+\cdots+ A_n x^2_n\) be an integral diagonal quadratic form with h.c.f. \((A_1,\dots, A_n)= 1\), and write \[ N(Q;B):=\#\{{\mathbf x}\in\mathbb Z^n: Q({\mathbf x})= 0,\max|x_i|\leq B\}. \] The present paper is concerned with upper bounds for the counting function \(N(Q;B)\). This topic was previously investigated in the case \(n=4\) by the author [Q. J. Math. 54, No. 1, 11--31 (2003; Zbl 1076.14513)], using elementary methods. If \(A_i= (-1)^i\) then \(N(Q;B)\geq B^{(n-1+ \delta)/2}\), where \(\delta=\delta(n)\) is \(1\) for even \(n\) and \(0\) for odd \(n\). Moreover we have \(N(Q;B)\gg_n B^{n-2}|\Delta_Q|^{-1/n}\) for any indefinite form with \(n\geq 5\), where \(\Delta_Q\) is the determinant of the form \(Q\). For \(n=4\) one may have \(N(Q;B)\gg_Q B^2(\log B)\) when \(\Delta_Q\) is a square. Thus the best that one can reasonably hope for is that \[ N(Q;B)\ll_n{B^{n-2}\over |\Delta_Q|^{1/n}}+ B^{(n-1+\delta)/2} \] for \(n\geq 5\), or for \(n=4\) when \(\Delta_Q\) is not a square. Under the above assumptions, the paper establishes that in fact \[ N(Q;B)\ll_{n,\varepsilon} \Biggl({B^{n-2}\over |\Delta_Q|^{1/n}}+ |\Delta_Q|^{3/4} B^{(n-1+ \delta)/2}\Biggr)|\Delta_Q|^\varepsilon \] for any \(\varepsilon> 0\), providing that \(\max|A_i|\ll|\Delta_Q|^{1/n}\). Notice that this improves on the trivial bound \(B^{n-2}\) as \(|\Delta_Q|\) grows. The above result is a corollary of a slightly stronger but more complicated estimate, in which \(\max|A_i|\) ad \(\min|A_i|\) appear, in addition to \(\Delta_Q\). A further bound concerns \[ M(Q;X):=\#\{{\mathbf x}\in\mathbb Z^n: Q({\mathbf x})= 0,\,\max|A_i x^2_i|\leq X\}, \] and states that \[ M(Q;X)\ll_{n, \varepsilon} \Biggl({X^{(n-2)/2}\over |\Delta_Q|^{1/2}}+ (\max|A_i|)^{1/2} X^{(n-1+\delta)/4+ \varepsilon}\Biggr)|\Delta_Q|^\varepsilon, \] at least for \(n\geq 5\). The proofs of all these results use the circle method in the form given by the reviewer [J. Reine Angew. Math. 481, 149--206 (1996; Zbl 0857.11049)], and incorporate a double Kloosterman refinement.