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20 votes
2 answers
2k views

Rational points on the "quintic circle" $x^5 + y^5 = 7$

I suspect that the curve $x^5 + y^5=7$ has no $\mathbb Q$ points, and a brief computer search verifies this hypothesis for denominators up to $10^4$. What techniques can be used to show that there are ...
1 vote
0 answers
96 views

Shortest paths stepping on rational points of height $h$

Q. Do shortest paths walking between rational points of height $h$ ever properly cross themselves? Explaining this question takes a bit of definitional exposition. First, I copy definitions from ...
5 votes
0 answers
150 views

Counting square zero forms over finite fields

Let $p$ be an odd prime and let $R=\Lambda_{\mathbb{F}_p}[x_1,\dots,x_n]$ be the exterior algebra on $n$ generators over the finite field with $p$ elements. This is a graded-commutative ring. Is ...
1 vote
2 answers
203 views

Counting number of $2\times 2$ unimodular matrices of particular type

From set of numbers from $\Bbb S=\{0,1,\dots,m\}$, how many distinct $3\times 3$ unimodular matrices parametrized by $(a,b,c,d,e,f)\in\Bbb S^6$ of following type can one form? \begin{bmatrix} a^2 &...
9 votes
1 answer
962 views

Average height of rational points on a curve

I am seeking a formalism to define the average height of the rational points on a curve. This is straightforward if the number of points is finite, but (to me) not straightforward when the rational ...
3 votes
2 answers
520 views

cohomological obstructions and rational points

Let $X$ a (nice) scheme over $\mathbb{Q}$. Are there cohomolgical obstructions answering the following questions: 1) is $X(\mathbb{Q})$ an empty set ? 2) is $X(\mathbb{Q})$ a finite (non empty) set ...
10 votes
3 answers
683 views

Circles avoiding rational points of height $\le h$

Q. Which origin-centered circles $C(r)$ (or spheres in dimension $d$) of radius $r < 1$ avoid all rational points of height $\le h$? A rational point is a point all of whose coordinates are ...
12 votes
2 answers
424 views

Existence of local sections

I would like to know when the property of "having a section" for a morphism of varieties in characteristic $0$ can be detected by spreading out to characteristic $p$. Take a number field $K$, and let ...
2 votes
0 answers
120 views

Benchmark problems for computing rational points on varieties

Are there standard benchmark problem sets used for empirically evaluating algorithms designed for computing rational points on (various classes of) algebraic varieties? If so, could you please point ...
7 votes
0 answers
205 views

Lattice radial-step (ratchet) spirals

(30Oct13: Now solved; see Addendum.) Define a curve, a ratchet spiral, $S(r_0,\epsilon)$ as follows, where $r_0 > 0$ and $\epsilon < 1$.     $S(r_0,\epsilon)$ begins with the arc ...
3 votes
2 answers
185 views

Lattice-point-free buffers around circles

Let $C(r)$ be the origin-centered circle of radius $r$, and let $\beta(r)$ be the exterior buffer around $C(r)$: the distance from $C(r)$ to the closest lattice point exterior to $C(r)$:   &...
1 vote
0 answers
193 views

Existence of a curve with no points over finite separable field extensions

Does there exist a field $K$, and a smooth projective geometrically connected curve $C$ over $K$ such that, for all finite separable field extensions $L/K$ the curve $C$ has no $L$-rational points? I ...
9 votes
2 answers
449 views

Rational points on circular spirals

Is it the case that every unit-radius circular spiral, $$x = \cos(t)$$ $$y = \sin(t)$$ $$z = c \cdot t$$ for $c \in \mathbb{R}^+$ is dense in rational-coordinate points (i.e., all three coordinates ...
1 vote
1 answer
241 views

Tricks to produce examples of hypersurfaces with index greater than $1$

Recall, index of an algebraic scheme $X$ is defined to be the greatest common divisor of the degrees of the space of zero cycles on $X$. I am interested in examples of hypersurfaces in $\mathbb{P}^n_K$...
6 votes
1 answer
489 views

Simple field extension and rational points

Let $F$ be an infinite field and $f$ a homogeneous form on $F$ such that $f$ has no non-trivial zero in $F$. Let $F'$ be a finite extension of $F$ such that $f$ has a non-trivial zero in $F'$. Is it ...
9 votes
1 answer
549 views

Varieties with infinitely many etale covers and rational points

Let $X$ be a (smooth projective geometrically connected) variety over a field $k$. Consider the set Et$(X,k)$ of finite etale covers $Y\to X$ over $k$, with $Y$ geometrically connected over $k$. ...
13 votes
2 answers
572 views

Existence of points on varieties which avoid a given number field.

Let C be a geometrically integral curve over a number field K and let K' be a number field containing K. Does there exist a number field L containing K such that $L \cap K' = K$, and $C(L) \neq \...
7 votes
1 answer
334 views

Rational points on smooth compactifications

Let $X$ be as smooth variety over a field $k$ of characteristic $0$. Consider the following statements: The variety $X$ has no $k((t))$-rational points. No smooth compactification of $X$ has a $k$-...
3 votes
1 answer
483 views

Brauer-Manin obstruction and Hasse principle

I am looking for varieties without $\mathbf{Q}$-rational points where the absence can be explained by the Brauer-Manin obstruction, but not by the absence of adelic points varieties without $\mathbf{...

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