Exponents of Diophantine Approximation in dimension two

Michel Laurent

Published 2006-11-12Version 1

Let $\Theta=(\alpha,\beta)$ be a point in $\bR^2$, with $1,\alpha,\beta$ linearly independent over $\bQ$. We attach to $\Theta$ a quadruple $\Omega(\Theta)$ of exponents which measure the quality of approximation to $\Theta$ both by rational points and by rational lines. The two ``uniform'' components of $\Omega(\Theta)$ are related by an equation, due to Jarn{\'\i}k, and the four exponents satisfy two inequalities which refine Khintchine's transference principle. Conversely, we show that for any quadruple $\Omega$ fulfilling these necessary conditions, there exists a point $\Theta\in \bR^2$ for which $\Omega(\Theta) =\Omega$.