Rational approximations of irrational numbers (Q6119688)

Summary: Given quantities \(\Delta_1, \Delta_2, \cdots \geqslant 0\), a fundamental problem in Diophantine approximation is to understand which irrational numbers \(x\) have infinitely many reduced rational approximations \(a/q\) such that \(|x - a/q| < \Delta_q\). Depending on the choice of \(\Delta_q\) and of \(x\), this question may be very hard. However, Duffin and Schaeffer conjectured in 1941 that if we assume a ``metric'' point of view, the question is governed by a simple zero-one law: writing \(\varphi\) for Euler's totient function, we either have \(\Sigma^\infty_{q=1} \varphi (q) \Delta_q = \infty\) and then almost all irrational numbers (in the Lebesgue sense) are approximable, or \(\Sigma^\infty_{q=1} \varphi (q) \Delta_q < \infty\) and almost no irrationals are approximable. We will present the history of the Duffin-Schaeffer conjecture and the main ideas behind the recent work of the author and \textit{J. Maynard} [Ann. Math. (2) 192, No. 1, 251--307 (2020; Zbl 1459.11154)] that settled it. For the entire collection see [Zbl 07816357].