Rational points on homogeneous varieties and equidistribution of adelic periods (with appendix by Mikhail Borovoi) (Q540010)

Let \(G\) be a linear algebraic group defined over a number field \(K\), with a given \(K\)-representation \(G\to\mathrm{GL}_{d+1}\); let \(u\in\mathbb P^d(K)\), \(U:= uG\), and \[ L:= \{g\mid g\in G,\;ug= u\}. \] Suppose that \(G\) is a connected semisimple \(K\)-group, \(L\) is a semisimple maximal connected \(K\)-subgroup of \(G\), and that \(G(K_v)\) acts transitively on \(U(K_v)\) for almost every place \(v\) of the field \(K\). Let \(X\) be the Zariski closure of \(U\) in \(\mathbb P^d\), let \(l\) be the pull-back of the line bundle \({\mathcal O}_{\mathbb P^d}(1)\) to \(X\), and suppose there is a global section \(s\) of \(l\) with \(U: s\neq 0\). Let \(N_G(U):= \text{card}\{x\mid x\in U(K), H(x)< T\}\) for \(T> 0\), where \(H\) is the canonical height of \(\mathbb P^d(K)\). Then there are a positive rational number \(a\) and nonnegative integer \(b\) such that, as \(T\to\infty\), \[ N_T(U)\asymp T^a(\log T)^b \] and, moreover, \(N_T(U)\sim cT^a(\log T)^b\) with \(c> 0\) if \(G\) is simply connected. Making use of this result, the authors verify the Batyrev-Manin conjecture for a large class of wonderful varieties defined over a number field [\textit{V. V. Batyrev} and \textit{Yu. I. Manin}, Math. Ann. 286, No. 1--3, 27--43 (1990; Zbl 0679.14008)]. All that is deduced from the authors' ergodic results on the equidistribution of adelic points, too technical to be described here.