An Optimal Bound for the Ratio Between Ordinary and Uniform Exponents of Diophantine Approximation

Abstract

We provide a lower bound for the ratio between the ordinary and uniform exponents of both simultaneous Diophantine approximation to n real numbers and Diophantine approximation for one linear form in n variables. This question was first considered in the 50’s by V. Jarník who solved the problem for two real numbers and established certain bounds in higher dimension. Recently different authors reconsidered the question, solving the problem in dimension three with different methods. Considering a new concept of parametric geometry of numbers, W. M. Schmidt and L. Summerer conjectured that the optimal lower bound is reached at regular systems. It follows from a remarkable result of D. Roy that this lower bound is then optimal. In the present paper we give a proof of this conjecture by W. M. Schmidt and L. Summerer.