Thue-Siegel-Roth theorem
If is an irrational algebraic number and
is arbitrarily small, then there are only finitely many integer solutions
and
(
and
being co-prime) of the inequality
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This theorem is best possible of its kind; the number 2 in the exponent cannot be decreased. The Thue–Siegel–Roth theorem is a strengthening of the Liouville theorem (see Liouville number). Liouville's result has been successively strengthened by A. Thue [1], C.L. Siegel [2] and, finally, K.F. Roth [3]. Thue proved that if is an algebraic number of degree
, then the inequality
![]() |
has only finitely many integer solutions and
(
and
being co-prime) when
. Siegel established that Thue's theorem is true for
. The final version of the theorem stated above was obtained by Roth. There is a
-adic analogue of the Thue–Siegel–Roth theorem. The results listed above are proved by non-effective methods (see Diophantine approximation, problems of effective).
References
[1] | A. Thue, "Bemerkungen über gewisse Annäherungsbrüche algebraischer Zahlen" Norske Vidensk. Selsk. Skrifter. , 3 (1908) pp. 1–34 |
[2] | C.L. Siegel, "Approximation algebraischer Zahlen" Math. Z. , 10 (1921) pp. 173–213 |
[3] | K.F. Roth, "Rational approximation to algebraic numbers" Mathematika , 2 : 1 (1955) pp. 1–20 |
[4] | K. Mahler, "Lectures on Diophantine approximations" , 1 , Univ. Notre Dame (1961) |
[5] | D. Ridout, "The ![]() |
[6] | A.O. Gel'fond, "Transcendental and algebraic numbers" , Dover, reprint (1960) (Translated from Russian) |
Comments
In 1971, W.M. Schmidt [a1] generalized Roth's theorem to the problem of simultaneous approximation of several algebraic numbers. This was extended by H.P. Schlickewei [a2] to include -adic valuations as well. The latter work has profound consequences in the theory of exponential Diophantine equations (
-unit equations), see [a3].
In a completely different but spectacular direction, G. Faltings [a4] extended Roth's theorem to products of Abelian varieties and proved a remarkable conjecture of S. Lang on rational points on subvarieties of Abelian varieties. This proof can also be considered as a generalization of Vojta's proof of the Mordell conjecture (see also Thue–Siegel–Roth theorem).
References
[a1] | W.M. Schmidt, "Diophantine Approximation" , Lect. notes in math. , 785 , Springer (1980) |
[a2] | H.P. Schlickewei, "The ![]() |
[a3] | J.H. Evertse, "On sums of ![]() |
[a4] | G. Faltings, "Diophantine approximation on abelian varieties" Ann. of Math. (Forthcoming) |
Thue-Siegel-Roth theorem. Encyclopedia of Mathematics. URL: http://encyclopediaofmath.org/index.php?title=Thue-Siegel-Roth_theorem&oldid=23085