Approximation of values of the Gauss hypergeometric function by rational fractions (Q650348)

A method which we owe essentially to \textit{M. Hata} [Acta Arith. 63, No. 4, 335--349 (1993; Zbl 0776.11033)] is generalized to give some new or to improve some irrationality measures for special values of the Gauss hypergeometric function. The author regards the integral \[ \widehat I_n(b)= \int^1_0 {(x^2- 1/b^2)^{s\cdot n}(1- x^2)^{rn-sn} b^{rn+ sn+ 1}dx\over (b^2- x^2)^{rn+1}}. \] For \(q_M= LCM(1,\dots, M)\) and \(b= \sqrt{k}+ \sqrt{k-1}\), \(k\in\mathbb{N}\), \(k> 1\) she can show that there exist values \(\nu(k)\), \(\alpha(k)\in\mathbb{R}^+\) such that \(\widehat I_n(b)\) satisfies the linear form \[ q_n 2^{\nu(k)n+\alpha(k)} {1\over 2\sqrt{k}}\widehat I_n(b)=\widehat B_n+\widehat A_n{1\over 2\sqrt{k}}\ln{\sqrt{k}+ 1\over\sqrt{k}- 1},\;\widehat B_n,\widehat A_n\in\mathbb{Z}. \] This linear form is handled with the following Lemma coming essentially from \textit{Hata} [loc. cit.]: ``Suppose that \(n\in\mathbb{N}\), \(\gamma\in\mathbb{R}\), \(\ell_n= q_n\gamma+ p_n\) (\(q_n,p_n\in\mathbb{Z}\), \(\gamma\) irrational) \[ \lim_{n\to\infty}\, {1\over n}\ln|q_n|= \delta,\quad \limsup{1\over n}\ln|\ell_n|\leq -\tau,\;\tau> 0. \] Then we have for the irrationally measure \(\mu(\gamma)\), \(\mu(\gamma)\leq 1+{\delta\over\tau}\).'' (\(\mu(\gamma)\) is per definition the lower bound of numbers \(\mu\) for which for any \(\varepsilon> 0\), there exists a \(q_0(\varepsilon)> 0\) such that \(|\gamma-{p\over q}|\geq q^{-\mu-\varepsilon}\) holds for all integers \(p\) and \(q\) with \(q\geq q_0(\varepsilon)\)). Taking special values for \(k\) or \(b\) the author gets new measures, for example in case \(k= 3\), \[ \mu\Biggl(\sqrt{2}\ln {2\sqrt{2}+ 1\over 2\sqrt{2}- 1}\Biggr)\leq 12.451818\dots, \] or in case \(k= 8\) \[ \mu\Biggl(\arctan{1\over 3}\Biggr)\leq 6.199967\dots. \] For \(b= (\sqrt{7}+ \sqrt{8})i\) the following estimate is given: \[ \mu\Biggl(\sqrt{7}\arctan{1\over \sqrt{7}}\Biggr)\leq 4.48029\dots, \] this a bit weaker than the measure given by \textit{A. Heimonen}, \textit{T. Matalo-Aho} and \textit{K. Väänänen} [Bull. Aust. Math. Soc. 50, No. 2, 225--243 (1994; Zbl 0821.11037)], namely \[ \mu\Biggl(\sqrt{7}\arctan{1\over \sqrt{7}}\Biggr)\leq 4.0298\dots. \]