Research

Preprints/Publications

Optimal quantitative weak approximation for projective quadrics (with Zhizhong Huang and Damaris Schindler) arXiv:2405.05592

We derive asymptotic formulas for the number of rational points on a smooth projective quadratic hypersurface of dimension at least three inside of a shrinking adelic open neighbourhood. This is a quantitative version of weak approximation for quadrics and allows us to deduce the best growth rate of the size of such an adelic neighbourhood for which equidistribution is preserved. 

Polynomials represented by norm forms via the beta sieve arXiv:2209.08948 

A central question in Arithmetic geometry is to determine for which polynomials f∈Z[t] and which number fields K the Hasse principle holds for the affine equation f(t)=N_{K/Q}(x)≠0. Whilst extensively studied in the literature, current results are largely limited to polynomials and number fields of low degree. In this paper, we establish the Hasse principle for a wide family of polynomials and number fields, including polynomials that are products of arbitrarily many linear, quadratic or cubic factors. The proof generalises an argument of Irving, which makes use of the beta sieve of Rosser and Iwaniec. As a further application of our sieve results, we prove new cases of a conjecture of Harpaz and Wittenberg on locally split values of polynomials over number fields, and discuss consequences for rational points in fibrations. 

The Bertini irreducibility theorem for higher codimensional slices (with Philip Kmentt), Finite fields and their applications, volume 83, July 2022 

Poonen and Slavov recently developed a novel approach to Bertini irreducibility theorems over an arbitrary field, based on random hyperplane slicing. In this paper, we extend their work by proving an analogous bound for the dimension of the exceptional locus in the setting of linear subspaces of higher codimensions. 

On the leading constant in the Manin-type conjecture for Campana points, Acta Arithmetica Volume 204 (2022) pp.317-346 (arXiv:2104.14946)

We compare the Manin-type conjecture for Campana points recently formulated by Pieropan, Smeets, Tanimoto and Várilly-Alvarado with an alternative prediction of Browning and Van Valckenborgh in the special case of the orbifold  $(\mathbb{P}^1,D)$, where $D =\frac{1}{2}[0]+\frac{1}{2}[1]+\frac{1}{2}[\infty]$. We find that the two predicted leading constants do not agree, and we discuss whether thin sets could explain this discrepancy. Motivated by this, we provide a counterexample to the Manin-type conjecture for Campana points, by considering orbifolds corresponding to squareful values of binary quadratic forms. 

Sums of four squareful numbers, arXiv:2104.06966

We find an asymptotic formula for the number of primitive vectors $(z_1,\ldots,z_4)\in (\mathbb{Z}_{\neq 0})^4$ such that $z_1,\ldots, z_4$ are all squareful and bounded by $B$, and $z_1+\cdots + z_4 = 0$. Our result agrees in the power of $B$ and $\log B$ with the Campana-Manin conjecture of Pieropan, Smeets, Tanimoto and V\'{a}rilly-Alvarado.