Mahler's question for intrinsic Diophantine approximation on triadic Cantor set: the divergence theory (Q6139837)

Let \(K\) be the classical \(\frac{1}{3}\) Cantor set. \textit{K. Mahler} posed [Bull. Aust. Math. Soc. 29, 101--108 (1984; Zbl 0517.10001)] the following question: How close can irrational numbers in \(K\) be approximated by rational numbers in \(K\) and by rational numbers outside \(K\)? In this paper, the authors consider the intrinsic case, that is how close irrational numbers in \(K\) can be approximated by rational numbers in \(K\). More precisely, they are interested in the set \[ W_K (\psi) = \{\, x \in K : |x - p/q| < \psi (q) \text{ for infinitely many rationals } p/q \in K \, \}. \] \textit{J. Levesley} et al. [Math. Ann. 338, No. 1, 97--118 (2007; Zbl 1115.11040)] has studied this set with the further restriction that \(q\) is a power of \(3\). However, not all rationals in \(K\) are of the form \(p/3^n\), but any rational \(p/q\) in \(K\) can be written as \[ \frac{p}{q} = \frac{p^*}{3^l (3^m - 1)}. \] This later form need not be reduced, and following \textit{L. Fishman} and \textit{D. Simmons} [Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. (3) 109, No. 1, 189--212 (2014; Zbl 1309.11059)], the author of this paper introduce the intrinsic denominator \(q_\mathrm{int} = 3^l (3^m - 1)\). Improving on the result of Fishman and Simmons, the authors of this paper obtain an exact dichotomy for the Hausdorff measure of the set \[ W_{\mathrm{int},K} (\psi) = \{\, x \in K : |x - p/q| < \psi (q_\mathrm{int}) \text{ for infinitely many rationals } p/q \in K \, \}, \] for a general class of Hausdorff measure. In particular, this determines the Hausdorff dimension of this set as a function of \(\psi\), as well as the typical approximation speed.