On values of linear and quadratic forms at integral points

The aim of this article is to give an exposition of certain applications of the study of the homogeneous space \(\mathrm{SL} (n,\mathbb R)/ \mathrm{SL} (n,\mathbb Z)\) and the flows on it induced by subgroups of \(\mathrm{SL} (n,\mathbb R)\) to problems on values of linear and quadratic forms at integral points. Also some complements to the Margulis theorem on the Oppenheim conjecture are proved. Let \(Q\) be an indefinite quadratic form on \(\mathbb R^n\), \(n\geq 3\), that is not a multiple of a form with rational coefficients. Then at least one of the following conditions hold: (i) the radical of \(Q\) is a rational subspace of codimension 2; or (ii) \(Q(P(\mathbb Z^n))\) is dense in \(\mathbb R\). The following results on mixed systems involving a quadratic and linear form on \(\mathbb R^3\) have also been considered in this paper. Let \(Q_0= 2x_1x_3-x_2^2\) and \(L_0=x_2\) for all \(x_1,x_2,x_3\) in \(\mathbb R\) be the forms on \(\mathbb R^3\). Then there exist \(g\) in \(\mathrm{SL}(3,\mathbb R)\) and \(\varepsilon > 0\) such that the following conditions are satisfied for the forms \(Q\) and \(L\) defined by \(Q(v)= Q_0(gv)\) and \(L(v)= L_0(gv)\) for all \(v\) in \(\mathbb R^3\): (i) no linear combination of \(Q\) and \(L^2\) is a rational quadratic form, and (ii) there does not exist any nonzero integral point \(x\in \mathbb Z^3\) such that \(|Q(x)|< \varepsilon\) and \(|L(x)|< \varepsilon\). Further, the set \(g\in \mathrm{SL}(3,\mathbb R)\) for which the conditions are satisfied (for some \(\varepsilon> 0\)) is of Hausdorff dimension 8, namely the same as the manifold dimension of \(\mathrm{SL}(3,\mathbb R)\); in particular there are uncountably many pairs of forms \((Q,L)\) arising as above for which (i) and (ii) are satisfied. See \textit{S. G. Dani} [Lond. Math. Soc. Lect. Note Ser. 228, 63--112 (1996; Zbl 0852.58055)] for an exposition of the general theory of flows on homogeneous spaces as well as various applications. For recent results on linear forms and vectors, see \textit{D. Kleinbock} [Duke Math. J. 95, 107--124 (1998; Zbl 1115.11311)] and \textit{D. Kleinbock} and \textit{G. A. Margulis} [Ann. Math. (2) 148, 339--360 (1998; Zbl 0922.11061)]. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0935.00033].

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