First published in 1975, this classic book gives a systematic account of transcendental number theory, that is those numbers which cannot be expressed as the roots of algebraic equations having rational coefficients. Their study has developed into a fertile and extensive theory enriching many branches of pure mathematics. Expositions are presented of theories relating to linear forms in the logarithms of algebraic numbers, of Schmidt's generalisation of the Thue-Siegel-Roth theorem, of Shidlovsky's work on Siegel's |E|-functions and of Sprindzuk's solution to the Mahler conjecture. The volume was revised in 1979: however Professor Baker has taken this further opportunity to update the book including new advances in the theory and many new references.

Transcendental number theory, by Alan Baker. Pp. x, 147. £4·90. 1975. SBN 0 521 20461 5 (Cambridge University Press)

A decision method for elementary algebra and geometry

This book presents state-of-the-art research on the distribution modulo one of sequences of integral powers of real numbers and related topics. Most of the results have never before appeared in one book and many of them were proved only during the last decade. Topics covered include the distribution modulo one of the integral powers of 3/2 and the frequency of occurrence of each digit in the decimal expansion of the square root of two. The author takes a point of view from combinatorics on words and introduces a variety of techniques, including explicit constructions of normal numbers, Schmidt's games, Riesz product measures and transcendence results. With numerous exercises, the book is ideal for graduate courses on Diophantine approximation or as an introduction to distribution modulo one for non-experts. Specialists will appreciate the inclusion of over 50 open problems and the rich and comprehensive bibliography of over 700 references.

https://assets.cambridge.org/97805211/11690/copyright/9780521111690_copyright_info.pdf

Distribution Modulo One and Diophantine Approximation

Let b ≥ 2 be an integer. We prove that the b-ary expansion of every irrational algebraic number cannot have low complexity. Furthermore, we establish that irrational morphic numbers are transcendental, for a wide class of morphisms. In particular, irrational automatic numbers are transcendental. Our main tool is a new, combinatorial transcendence criterion.

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On the complexity of algebraic numbers I. Expansions in integer bases

Le théorème de Picard-Borel et la théorie des fonctions méromorphes. By Rolf Nevanlinna. Pp.171. 35 fr. 1929. Paris; Gauthier-Villars.

We analyze the integral points on varieties defined by one equation of the form f 1 · · · f r = g , where the f i , g are polynomials in n variables with algebraic coefficients, and g has "small" degree; we shall use a method that we recently introduced in the context of Siegel's Theorem for integral points on curves. Classical, very particular, instances of our equations arise, e.g., in a well-known corollary of Roth's Theorem (the case n = 2, f i linear forms, deg g r -2) and with the norm-form equations , treated by W. M. Schmidt. Here we shall prove (Thm. 1) that the integral points are not Zariski-dense, provided Σdeg f i n · max (deg f i ) + deg g and provided the f i , g , satisfy certain (mild) assumptions which are "generically" verified. Our conclusions also cover certain complete-intersection subvarieties of our hypersurface (Thm. 2). Finally, we shall prove (Thm. 3) an analogue of the Schmidt's Subspace Theorem for arbitrary polynomials in place of linear forms.

On a general thue's equation

Let a,b be given, multiplicatively independent positive integers and let e>0. In a recent paper jointly with Y. Bugeaud we proved the upper bound exp(en) for g.c.d.(an−1, bn−1); shortly afterwards we generalized this to the estimate g.c.d.(u−1,v−1)<max(∣u∣,∣v∣)e for multiplicatively independent S-units u,v∈Z. In a subsequent analysis of those results it turned out that a perhaps better formulation of them may be obtained in terms of the language of heights of algebraic numbers. In fact, the purposes of the present paper are: to generalize the upper bound for the g.c.d. to pairs of rational functions other than {u−1,v−1} and to extend the results to the realm of algebraic numbers, giving at the same time a new formulation of the bounds in terms of height functions and algebraic subgroups of Gm2.

A Lower Bound for the Height of a Rational Function at S-unit Points

We present some applications of the Subspace Theorem to the investigation of the arithmetic of the values of Laurent series f(z) at S-unit points. For instance we prove that if f(qn) is an algebraic integer for infinitely many n, then h(f(qn)) must grow faster than n. By similar principles, we also prove diophantine results about power sums and transcendency results for lacunary series; these include as very special cases classical theorems of Mahler. Our arguments often appear to be independent of previous techniques in the context.

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Some New Applications of the Subspace Theorem

Let us now consider two-dimensional problems, i.e. problems reducing to the distribution of integral points on surfaces.

http://annals.math.princeton.edu/wp-content/uploads/annals-v160-n2-p09.pdf

On integral points on surfaces

Let {F(n)}n∈N,{G(n)}n∈N, be linear recurrent sequences. In this paper we are concerned with the well-known diophantine problem of the finiteness of the set ? of natural numbers n such that F(n)/G(n) is an integer. In this direction we have for instance a deep theorem of van der Poorten; solving a conjecture of Pisot, he established that if ? coincides with N, then {F(n)/G(n)}n∈N is itself a linear recurrence sequence. Here we shall prove that if ? is an infinite set, then there exists a nonzero polynomial P such that P(n)F(n)/G(n) coincides with a linear recurrence for all n in a suitable arithmetic progression. Examples like F(n)=2n-2, G(n)=n+2n+(-2)n, show that our conclusion is in a sense best-possible. In the proofs we introduce a new method to cope with a notorious crucial difficulty related to the existence of a so-called dominant root. In an appendix we shall also prove a zero-density result for ? in the cases when the polynomial P cannot be taken a constant.

Pietro Corvaja

Papers

On a general thue's equation

A Lower Bound for the Height of a Rational Function at S-unit Points

Some New Applications of the Subspace Theorem

On integral points on surfaces

Finiteness of integral values for the ratio of two linear recurrences