Asymptotic distribution for pairs of linear and quadratic forms at integral vectors (Q7028392)

The distribution of values of irrational quadratic forms evaluated at integer points was initiated by \textit{A. Oppenheim} [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 15, 724--727 (1929; JFM 55.0722.01)], who conjectured that for every irrational indefinite quadratic form \(Q\) in \(n \geq 3\) variables, the set \(Q(\mathbb Z^n)\) is dense in \(\mathbb R\). This was resolved by \textit{G. A. Margulis} [C. R. Acad. Sci., Paris, Sér. I 304, 249--253 (1987; Zbl 0624.10011)], using methods of ergodic theory and homogeneous dynamics. A quantitative strengthening was later provided by \textit{A. Eskin} et al. [Ann. Math. (2) 147, No. 1, 93--141 (1998; Zbl 0906.11035); Ann. Math. (2) 161, No. 2, 679--725 (2005; Zbl 1075.11049)] who studied the asymptotic behavior of the counting function \[N_Q(a, b, R) = \#\{v \in \mathbb Z^n: Q(v) \in (a, b), \|v\| \le R\},\] which can be interpreted as a problem concerning the joint distribution of the values of a quadratic form \(Q\) with those of the standard Euclidean norm \(\|v\|^2\). \N\NMore generally, one can consider the problem of a \emph{pair} of forms, say a quadratic form \(Q\) and a linear form \(L\), and the joint distribution of their values, namely, the behavior of the function \[N_{Q, L}(a, b, c, d, T) = \{v \in \mathbb Z^n: Q(v) \in (a, b), L(v) \in (c, d), \|v\| \le T\}.\] Under a total irrationality assumption (i.e., for any non-zero \((\alpha, \beta) \in \mathbb R^2\) the quadratic form \(\alpha Q + \beta L^2\) is irrational), and a signature assumption (i.e., the signature of the restriction of \(Q\) to the kernel of \(L\) is \((p, n- 1- p)\), with \(3 \le p \le n- 2\)), the authors show that there is a constant \(C(Q, L)\), depending only on \(Q\) and \(L\), so that \[N_{Q, L}(a, b, c, d, T) \sim C(Q, L)(d-c)(b-a)T^{n-3},\] where \(\sim\) denotes that the ratio tends to \(1\) as \(T \rightarrow \infty\).