This mostly expository paper centers on recently proved conjectures in two areas:
A) A conjecture of A. Oppenheim on the values of real indefinite quadratic forms at integral points.
B) Conjectures of Dani, Raghunathan, and Margulis on closures of orbits in spaces of lattices such as ${\BSL}_n(\R)/{\BSL}_n(\Z)$.
At first sight, A) belongs to analytic number theory and B) belongs to ergodic and Lie theory, and they seem to be quite unrelated. They are discussed together here because of a very interesting connection between the two pointed out by M. S. Raghunathan, namely, a special case of B) yields a proof of A).
The modular transformation behavior of theta series for indefinite quadratic forms is well understood in the case of elliptic modular forms due to Vignéras, who deduced that solving a differential equation of second order serves as a criterion for modularity. In this paper, we will give a generalization of this result to Siegel theta series.
It is known that there is a one-to-one correspondence between equivalence classes of primitive indefinite binary quadratic forms and primitive hyperbolic conjugacy classes of the modular group. Due to such a correspondence, Sarnak obtained the asymptotic formula for the class number sum in order of the fundamental unit by using the prime geodesic theorem for the modular group. In the present paper, we propose asymptotic formulas of the class number sums over discriminants in arithmetic progressions. Since there are relations between the arithmetic properties of the discriminants and the conjug…
We study an asymptotic formula for counting integral points over an equation defined by a non-degenerated indefinite integral ternary quadratic form $f$ representing a non-zero integer $a$ such that $-a\cdot det(f)$ is square over a number field. In particular, we prove that the finite part of this asymptotic formula is given by the product of local density times $1-p^{-1}$ over all finite primes $p$ over $\Bbb Z$.
Sarnak obtained the asymptotic formula of the sum of the class numbers of indefinite binary quadratic forms from the prime geodesic theorem for the modular group. In the present paper, we show several asymptotic formulas of partial sums of the class numbers by using the prime geodesic theorems for the congruence subgroups of the modular group.
In this paper we study a geometric coding algorithm for indefinite binary quadratic forms Q for the congruence subgroup Γ^0(N), with respect to the usual fundamental domain FN, where N is assumed prime. The cycles Q_1, . . ., Q_n that this algorithm produces are such that the the corresponding paths γ_1, . . ., γ_n in the Riemann surface X0(N)(C) have a nice behavior around the elliptic points of order 2.
For special $d$-dimensional hyperbolic shells $E$ with $ d\geq 5$ we show that the number of lattice points in $E$ intersected with a $d$-dimensional cube $C_r$ of edge length $r$, can be approximated by the volume of $E\cap C_r$, as $r$ tends to infinity, up to an error of order ${\mathcal O}(r^{d-2})$. We generalize results and techniques, used by F. Götze (2004), to a large class of {\em indefinite} quadratic forms and we provide explicit bounds for the errors in terms of certain Minkowski minima related to these quadratic forms. Furthermore, we obtain, as in the positive definite case, a r…
CUNY Graduate Center（纽约市立大学研究生中心）；Oklahoma State University（俄克拉荷马州立大学）；Institute for Advanced Study & Princeton University（普林斯顿高等研究院与普林斯顿大学）；Seoul National University（首尔国立大学）
A number field $k$ admits a binary integral quadratic form which represents all integers locally but not globally if and only if the class number of $k$ is bigger than one. In this case, there are only finitely many classes of such binary integral quadratic forms over $k$. A number field $k$ admits a ternary integral quadratic form which represents all integers locally but not globally if and only if the class number of $k$ is even. In this case, there are infinitely many classes of such ternary integral quadratic forms over $k$. An integral quadratic form over a number field $k$ with more tha…
Gauss' classical reduction theory for indefinite binary quadratic forms over $\mathbb{Z}$ has originally been proven by means of purely algebraic and arithmetic considerations. It was later discovered that this reduction theory is closely related to a certain symbolic dynamics for the geodesic flow on the modular surface, and hence can also be deduced geometrically. In this article, we use certain symbolic dynamics for the geodesic flow on Hecke triangle surfaces (also the non-arithmetic ones) to develop reduction theories for the indefinite binary quadratic forms associated to Hecke triangle …
We prove linear independence of indefinite iterated Eisenstein integrals over the fraction field of the ring of formal power series $\mathbb{Z}[[q]]$. Our proof relies on a general criterium for linear independence of iterated integrals, which has been established by Deneufch{â}tel, Duchamp, Minh and Solomon. As a corollary, we obtain $\mathbb{C}$-linear independence of indefinite iterated Eisenstein integrals, which has applications to the study of elliptic multiple zeta values, as defined by Enriquez.
Let $f$ be an indefinite ternary quadratic form, and let $q$ be an integer such that $-q det(f)$ is not a square. Let $N(T,f,q)$ denote the number of integral solutions of the equation $f(x)=q$ where $x$ lies in the ball of radius $T$ centered at the origin. We are interested in the asymptotic behavior of $N(T,f,q)$ as $T$ tends to infinity. We deduce from the results of our joint paper with Z. Rudnick that $N(T,f,q)$ grows like cE(T,f,q)$ as $T$ tends to infinity, where $E(T,f,q)$ is the Hardy-Littlewood expectation (the product of local densities) and $0 \le c \le 2$. We give examples of $f$…
For any $\varepsilon > 0$ we derive effective estimates for the size of a non-zero integral point $m \in \mathbb{Z}^d \setminus \{0\}$ solving the Diophantine inequality $\lvert Q[m] \rvert < \varepsilon$, where $Q[m] = q_1 m_1^2 + \ldots + q_d m_d^2$ denotes a non-singular indefinite diagonal quadratic form in $d \geq 5$ variables. In order to prove our quantitative variant of the Oppenheim conjecture, we extend an approach developed by Birch and Davenport [BD58b] to higher dimensions combined with a theorem of Schlickewei [Sch85]. The result obtained is an optimal extension of Schlickewei's …
We define generalised zeta functions associated to indefinite quadratic forms of signature (g-1,1) -- and more generally, to complex symmetric matrices whose imaginary part has signature (g-1,1) -- and we investigate their properties. These indefinite zeta functions are defined as Mellin transforms of indefinite theta functions in the sense of Zwegers, which are in turn generalised to the Siegel modular setting. We prove an analytic continuation and functional equation for indefinite zeta functions. We also show that indefinite zeta functions in dimension 2 specialise to differences of ray cla…
We describe a family of $q$-series generating the space of weight 1 modular forms coming from indefinite binary quadratic forms and study linear relations between these series.
Let $h(d)$ be the class number of indefinite binary quadratic forms of discriminant $d$, and let $\varepsilon_d$ be the corresponding fundamental unit. In this paper, we obtain an asymptotic formula for the $k$-th moment of $h(d)$ over positive discriminants $d$ with $\varepsilon_d\leq x$, uniformly for real numbers $k$ in the range $0<k\leq (\log x)^{1-o(1)}$. This improves upon the work of Raulf, who obtained such an asymptotic for a fixed positive integer $k$. We also investigate the distribution of large values of $h(d)$ when the $d$'s are ordered according to the size of their fundamental…
Given an integral indefinite binary Hermitian form f over an imaginary quadratic number field, we give a precise asymptotic equivalent to the number of nonequivalent representations, satisfying some congruence properties, of the rational integers with absolute value at most s by f, as s tends to infinity.
The continue fractions of quadratic surds are periodic, according to a theorem by Lagrange. Their periods may have differing types of symmetries. This work relates these types of symmetries to the symmetries of the classes of the corresponding indefinite quadratic forms. This allows to classify the periods of quadratic surds and at the same time to find, for an arbitrary indefinite quadratic form, the symmetry type of its class and the number of integer points, for that class, contained in each domain of the Poincare' model of the de Sitter world, introduced in Part I. Moreover, we obtain the …
This paper extends previous work on linear correlations of representation functions of positive definite binary quadratic forms to allow indefinite forms.
We show that the class of every primitive indefinite binary quadratic form is naturally represented by an infinite graph (named çark) with a unique cycle embedded on a conformal annulus. This cycle is called the spine of the çark. Every choice of an edge of a fixed çark specifies an indefinite binary quadratic form in the class represented by the çark. Reduced forms in the class represented by a çark correspond to some distinguished edges on its spine. Gauss reduction is the process of moving the edge in the direction of the spine of the çark. Ambiguous and reciprocal classes are represented b…
We establish a quantitative version of Oppenheim's conjecture for generic ternary indefinite quadratic forms using an analytic number theory approach. The statements come with power gains and in some cases are essentially optimal
The problem of the classification of the indefinite binary quadratic forms with integer coefficients is solved introducing a special partition of the de Sitter world, where the coefficients of the forms lie, into separate domains. Every class of indefinite forms, under the action of the special linear group acting on the integer plane lattice, has a finite and well defined number of representatives inside each one of such domains. This property belongs exclusively to rational points on the one-sheeted hyperboloid. In the second part we will show how to obtain the symmetry type of a class as we…
We prove that for any countable set $A$ of real numbers, the set of binary indefinite quadratic forms $Q$ such that the closure of $Q(\mathbb{Z}^2)$ is disjoint from $A$ has full Hausdorff dimension.
We prove a quantitative version of Oppenheim's conjecture for generic ternary indefinite quadratic forms. Our results are inspired by and analogous to recent results for diagonal quadratic forms due to Bourgain.
Let $f(x_1,\ldots,x_n)$ be a regular indefinite integral quadratic form with $n\ge 9$, and let $t$ be an integer. It is established that $f(x_1,\ldots,x_n)=t$ has solutions in prime variables if there are no local obstructions.
Let Q be a non-singular quadratic form with integer coefficients. When Q is indefinite we provide new upper bounds for the least non-trivial integral solution to the equation Q=0. When Q is positive definite we provide improved upper bounds for the least positive integer k such that the equation Q=k is insoluble in integers, despite being soluble modulo every prime power.
We fix a maximal order $\mathcal O$ in $\F=\R,\C$ or $\mathbb{H}$, and an $\F$-hermitian form $Q$ of signature $(n,1)$ with coefficients in $\mathcal O$. Let $k\in\N$. By applying a lattice point theorem on the $\F$-hyperbolic space, we give an asymptotic formula with an error term, as $t\to+\infty$, for the number $N_t(Q,-k)$ of integral solutions $x\in\mathcal O^{n+1}$ of the equation $Q[x]=-k$ satisfying $|x_{n+1}|\leq t$.
In a recent preprint, arXiv:1606.05495v1, Alexandrov, Banerjee, Manschot and Pioline introduced generalized error functions and used them to construct indefinite theta series associated to quadratic lattices L of signature (n-2,2). These series are generalizations of those constructed by Zwegers for lattices of signature (n-1,1) and are shown to be `modular completions' of certain nice $q$-series. In this paper, we show that the ABMP-indefinite theta series for signature (n-2,2) can also be obtained as integrals of the form valued theta series introduced in joint work with J. Millson in 1986. …
Let $f(x_1,\ldots,x_s)$ be a translation invariant indefinite quadratic form of integer coefficients with $s\ge 10$. Let $\mathcal{A}\subseteq \mathcal{P}\cap \{1,2,\ldots,X\}$. Let $X$ be sufficiently large. Subject to a rank condition, we prove that there exist distinct primes $p_1,\ldots,p_s\in \mathcal{A}$ such that $f(p_1,\ldots,p_s)=0$ as soon as $|\mathcal{A}|\ge \frac{X}{\log X} (\log\log X)^{-\frac{1}{80}}.$
We translate Davenport's and Heilbronn's work on a quantitative version of the Oppenheim conjecture for indefinite diagonal quadratic forms in 5 variables into the setting of function fields.
We prove an effective equidistribution theorem for orbits of horospherical subgroups of $\mathrm{SO}(2, 2)$ and $\mathrm{SO}(3, 1)$ in quotients of $\mathrm{SL}_4(\mathbb{R})$ with a polynomial error term. In a forthcoming paper, we will use this theorem to prove an effective version of the Oppenheim conjecture for indefinite quadratic forms of signature $(2, 2)$ or $(3, 1)$ with a polynomial error rate.
InfoMod is a new software and application devoted to the modular group, PSL2(Z). It has algorithms that deals with the classical correspondences among continued fractions, geodesics on the modular surface and binary quadratic forms. In addition the software implements the recently discovered representation of Gauss' indefinite binary quadratic forms and their classes in terms of certain infinite planar graphs (dessins) called çarks. InfoMod illustrates various aspects of these forms, i.e. Gauss' reduction algorithm, the representation problem of forms, ambiguous and reciprocal forms. It can be…
Since the study by Jacobi and Hecke, Hecke-type series have received a lot of attention. Unlike such series associated with indefinite quadratic forms, identities on Hecke-type series associated with definite quadratic forms are quite rare in the literature. Motivated by the works of Liu, we first establish many parameterized identities with two parameters by employing different $q$-transformation formulas and then deduce various Hecke-type identities associated with definite quadratic forms by specializing the choice of these two parameters. As applications, we utilize some of these Hecke-typ…
In this paper, we study the representations of integral quadratic polynomials. Particularly, it is shown that there are only finitely many equivalence classes of positive ternary universal integral quadratic polynomials, and that there are only finitely many regular ternary triangular forms. A more general discussion of integral quadratic polynomials over a Dedekind domain inside a global field is also given.
We obtain truncated restriction estimates of an unexpected form for discrete surfaces \begin{align} S = \{\, ( n_1 , \dots , n_d , R( n_1 , \dots, n_d ) ) \,,\, n_i \in [-N,N] \cap \mathbb{Z} \,\}, \end{align} where $R$ is an indefinite quadratic form with integer matrix.
We obtain estimates for the number of integral solutions in large balls, of inequalities of the form $|Q(x, y)| < ε$, where $Q$ is an indefinite binary quadratic form, in terms of the Hurwitz continued fraction expansions of the slopes of the lines on which $Q$ vanishes. The method is based on a coding of geodesics on the modular surface via Hurwitz expansions of the endpoints of their lifts in the Poincare half-plane.
In this note, we give an elementary proof of the following classical fact. Any positive definite ternary quadratic form over the rational numbers fails to represent infinitely many positive integers. For any ternary quadratic form (positive definite or indefinite), our method constructs certain congruence classes whose elements, up to a square factor, are the only elements not represented over the rational numbers by that form. In the case of a positive definite ternary form, we show that these classes are non-empty. This shows that the minimum number of variables in a positive definite quadra…
Using half-integral weight modular forms we give a criterion for the existence of real quadratic $p$-rational fields. For $p=5$ we prove the existence of infinitely many real quadratic $p$-rational fields.
We introduce an invertible operation on finite sequences of positive integers and call it "kneading". Kneading preserves three invariants of sequences -- the parity of the length, the sum of the entries, and one we call the "alternant". We provide a bijection between the set of sequences with alternant $a$ and parity $s$ and the set of Zagier-reduced indefinite binary quadratic forms with discriminant $a^2 + (-1)^s \cdot 4$, and show that kneading corresponds to Zagier reduction of the corresponding forms. It follows that the sum of a sequence is a class invariant of the corresponding form. We…
We prove that the set of CM points on the Shimura curve associated to an Eichler order inside an indefinite quaternion $\mathbb{Q}$-algebra, is in bijection with the set of certain classes of $p$-adic binary quadratic forms, where $p$ is a prime dividing the discriminant of the quaternion algebra. The classes of $p$-adic binary quadratic forms are obtain by the action of a discrete and cocompact subgroup of $\mathrm{PGL}_{2}(\mathbb{Q}_{p})$ arising from the $p$-adic uniformization of the Shimura curve. We finally compute families of $p$-adic binary quadratic forms associated to an infinite fa…
In the paper we obtain the asymtotic number of integral quadratic polynomials with bounded heights and discriminants as the upper bound of heights tends to infinity.
We consider infinite parametric families of octic fields, that are quartic extensions of quadratic fields. We describe all relative power integral bases of the octic fields over the quadratic subfields.
Dirichlet's version of Gauss's reduction theory for indefinite binary quadratic forms includes a map from Gauss-reduced forms to strings of natural numbers. It attaches to a form the minimal period of the continued fraction of a quadratic irrationality associated with the form. When Zagier developed his own reduction theory, parallel to Dirichlet's, he omitted an analogue of this map. We define a new map on Zagier-reduced forms that serves as this analogue. We also define a map from the set of Gauss-reduced forms into the set of Zagier-reduced forms that gives a near-embedding of the structure…
A collection $\mathcal S$ of equivalence classes of positive definite integral quadratic forms in $n$ variables is called an $n$-exceptional set if there exists a positive definite integral quadratic form which represents all equivalence classes of positive definite integral quadratic forms in $n$ variables except those in $\mathcal S$. We show that, among other results, for any given positive integers $m$ and $n$, there is always an $n$-exceptional set of size $m$ and there are only finitely many of them.
Erdős and Hall studied the angular distribution of Gaussian integers with a fixed norm. We generalize their result to the angular distribution of integral ideal numbers with a fixed norm in any quadratic extension.
We show that the density of quadratic forms in $n$ variables over $\mathbb Z_p$ that are isotropic is a rational function of $p$, where the rational function is independent of $p$, and we determine this rational function explicitly. When real quadratic forms in $n$ variables are distributed according to the Gaussian Orthogonal Ensemble (GOE) of random matrix theory, we determine explicitly the probability that a random such real quadratic form is isotropic (i.e., indefinite). As a consequence, for each $n$, we determine an exact expression for the probability that a random integral quadratic f…
We propose a method for determining which integers can be written as a sum of two integral squares for quadratic fields $\Q(\sqrt{\pm p})$, where $p$ is a prime.
We give formulas for local densities of diagonal integral ternary quadratic forms at odd primes. Exponential sums and quadratic Gauss sums are used to obtain these formulas. These formulas (along with 2-adic densities and Siegel's mass formula) can be used to compute the representation numbers of certain ternary quadratic forms.
In this note, we give a necessary and sufficient condition for determining which integers can be written as a sum of two integral squares for certain quadratic fields by using the integral Brauer-manin obstruction (see \cite{CTX}). The condition is computable and originally from the reciprocity law.
We generalize Conway's approach to integral binary quadratic forms on Q to study integral binary hermitian forms on quadratic imaginary extensions of Q. In Conway's case, an indefinite form that doesn't represent 0 determines a line ("river") in the spine T associated with SL(2,Z) in the hyperbolic plane. In our generalization, such a form determines a plane ("ocean") in Mendoza's spine associated with the corresponding Bianchi group SL(2,A) in hyperbolic 3-space.
G.L. Watson \cite{watson1, watson2} introduced a set of transformations, called Watson transformations by most recent authors, in his study of the arithmetic of integral quadratic forms. These transformations change an integral quadratic form to another integral quadratic form with a smaller discriminants, but preserve many arithmetic properties at the same time. In this paper, we study the change of class numbers of positive definite ternary integral quadratic formula along a sequence of Watson transformations, thus providing a new and effective way to compute the class number of positive def…
