Diophantine approximation and dynamics of unipotent flows on homogeneous spaces (Q930807)

The survey paper under review is concerned with the relationship between the Oppenheim conjecture and the Raghunathan conjecture. Both of these conjectures are now theorems, the first due to \textit{G. A. Margulis} [C. R. Acad. Sci., Paris, Sér. I 304, 249--253 (1987; Zbl 0624.10011)] and the second due to \textit{M. Ratner} [Duke Math. J. 63, No. 1, 235--280 (1991; Zbl 0733.22007), Ann. Math. (2) 134, No. 3, 545--607 (1991; Zbl 0763.28012)]. The Oppenheim conjecture states that if \(Q\) is a quadratic form in \(n \geq 3\) variables, which is not a scalar multiple of a rational form, then the set \(Q({\mathbb Z}^n\setminus \{0\})\) contains arbitrarily small numbers (in absolute value). The Raghunathan conjecture states that if \(G\) is a connected Lie group, \(\Gamma\) is a lattice in \(G\) and \(H\) is a Lie subgroup of \(G\) generated by its unipotent elements, then for any \(z \in G/\Gamma\), there is a closed subgroup \(F\) of \(G\) with \(\overline{Hz} = Fz\). The two conjectures are related in the sense that the Oppenheim conjecture may be derived from a special case of the Raghunathan conjecture. In fact, the proof of the former conjecture by \textit{G.~A. Margulis} [loc.cit.] essentially consisted in proving this special case of the latter conjecture. Starting from this, the author of the paper under review describes a series of developments which followed Margulis' proof. Problems in uniform distribution in homogeneous dynamics are treated, as are their relation with quantitative versions of the Oppenheim conjecture. The paper concludes with sections on questions of divergence of orbits on non-compact homogeneous spaces and the application of this theory to Diophantine approximation on manifolds.