Explicit bounds for rational points near planar curves and metric Diophantine approximation (Q607339)

This important and well written paper extends several counting estimates on the number of rational points near a planar curve to a topologically closed family of curves in \(C^0\). Given a real function \(f: I \rightarrow {\mathbb R}\) on an interval \(I\), the authors define the counting function \[ N_f(Q,\delta, J) = \# \left\{\left({p_1 \over q},{p_2 \over q}\right) \in {\mathbb Q} : {p_1 \over q} \in J,\; 0 < q \leq Q,\; \left | f\left({p_1 \over q}\right) - {p_2 \over q}\right| < \delta Q^{-1}\right\}. \] Here, \(Q\) and \(\delta\) are real, positive numbers and \(J\) is a subinterval of \(I\). It was previously shown by \textit{M. N. Huxley} [Ann. Sc. Norm. Super. Pisa, Cl. Sci., IV. Ser. 21, No. 3, 357--375 (1994; Zbl 0827.11046)] that if \(I\) is compact, \(f \in C^2(I)\) and for some \(c_2 \geq c_1 > 0\), \(c_1 \leq | f''(x) | \leq c_2\) for all \(x \in I\), then \[ N_f(Q,\delta, I) \ll_\epsilon C^{10/3} \delta^{1-\epsilon} Q^2 + C^{1/3}Q, \quad C = \max\{c_2, c_1^{-1}\}. \] Let \({\mathcal F}(I; c_1, c_2)\) denote the class of functions so defined. The upper bound was strengthened by \textit{R. C. Vaughan} and \textit{S. Velani} [Invent. Math. 166, No. 1, 103--124 (2006; Zbl 1185.11047)] under additional assumptions. A lower bound was obtained by \textit{V. Beresnevich}, \textit{D. Dickinson} and \textit{S. Velani} [Ann. Math. (2) 166, No. 2, 367--426 (2007; Zbl 1137.11048)], who showed that if \(f \in {\mathcal F}(I;c_1, c_2) \cap C^3(I)\), then there are constants \(k_1, k_2, c, Q_0 > 0\) such that if \(Q > Q_0\) and \(k_1Q^{-1} \leq \delta \leq k_2\), then \[ N_f(Q, \delta, I) \geq c\delta Q^2. \] The authors extend these two results to the closure of \({\mathcal F}(I; c_1, c_2)\) in \(C^0(I)\) in the topology of uniform convergence. This closure is explicitly described as a family of functions enjoying certain convexity properties. Along the way, all constants are made explicit and dependent only on \(c_1\) and \(c_2\). Additionally, extensions of celebrated Diophantine results of \textit{V. Bernik}, \textit{D. Kleinbock} and \textit{G. A. Margulis} [Int. Math. Res. Not. 2001, No. 9, 453--486 (2001; Zbl 0986.11053)] as well as \textit{D. Kleinbock} and \textit{G. A. Margulis} [Ann. Math. (2) 148, No. 1, 339--360 (1998; Zbl 0922.11061)] are obtained in the course of the proof. These original results are also extended to the larger class of curves obtained as graphs of functions in the \(C^0\)-closure of \({\mathcal F}(I; c_1, c_2)\).