CONCENTRATION OF POINTS ON MODULAR QUADRATIC FORMS

Let Q(x, y) be a quadratic form with discriminant D ≠ 0. We obtain non-trivial upper bound estimates for the number of solutions of the congruence Q(x, y) ≡ λ ( mod p), where p is a prime and x, y lie in certain intervals of length M, under the assumption that Q(x, y) - λ is an absolutely irreducible polynomial modulo p. In particular, we prove that the number of solutions to this congruence is Mo(1) when M ≪ p1/4. These estimates generalize a previous result by Cilleruelo and Garaev on the particular congruence xy ≡ λ( mod p).

Constructing irreducible polynomials with prescribed level curves over finite fields

We use Eisenstein's irreducibility criterion to prove that there exists an absolutely irreducible polynomialP(X,Y)∈GF(q)[X,Y]with coefficients in the finite fieldGF(q)withqelements, with prescribed level curvesXc:={(x,y)∈GF(q)2|P(x,y)=c}.

Integer points on algebraic curves with exceptional units

Let F(X, Y) be an absolutely irreducible polynomial with coefficients in an algebraic number field K. Denote by C the algebraic curve defined by the equation F(X, Y) = 0 and by K[C] the ring of regular functions on Cover K. Assume that there is a unit ϕ in K[C] − K such that 1 − ϕ is also a unit. Then we establish an explicit upper bound for the size of integral solutions of the equation F(X, Y) = 0, defined over K. Using this result we establish improved explicit upper bounds on the size of integral solutions to the equations defining non-singular affine curves of genus zero, with at least three points at ‘infinity’, the elliptic equations and a class of equations containing the Thue curves.