Fix an integer $n\geqslant 2$. To each non-zero point $\mathbf{u}$ in $\mathbb{R}^{n}$, one attaches several numbers called exponents of Diophantine approximation. However, as Khintchine first observed, these numbers are not independent of each other. This raises the problem of describing the set of all possible values that a given family of exponents can take by varying the point $\mathbf{u}$. To avoid trivialities, one restricts to points $\mathbf{u}$ whose coordinates are linearly independent over $\mathbb{Q}$. The resulting set of values is called the spectrum of these exponents. We show that, in an appropriate setting, any such spectrum is a compact connected set. In the case $n=3$, we prove moreover that it is a semi-algebraic set closed under component-wise minimum. For $n=3$, we also obtain a description of the spectrum of the exponents $(\text{}\underline{\unicode[STIX]{x1D711}}_{1},\text{}\underline{\unicode[STIX]{x1D711}}_{2},\text{}\underline{\unicode[STIX]{x1D711}}_{3},\overline{\unicode[STIX]{x1D711}}_{1},\overline{\unicode[STIX]{x1D711}}_{2},\overline{\unicode[STIX]{x1D711}}_{3})$ recently introduced by Schmidt and Summerer.

We transpose the parametric geometry of numbers, recently created by Schmidt and Summerer, to fields of rational functions in one variable and analyze, in that context, the problem of simultaneous approximation to exponential functions.

Introduced in Schmidt and Summerer [Parametric geometry of numbers and applications. Acta Arith.140 (2009), 67–91], approximation exponents $\text{}\underline{\unicode[STIX]{x1D711}}_{i},\overline{\unicode[STIX]{x1D711}}_{i}$, $(i=1,2,3)$, attached to points $\boldsymbol{\unicode[STIX]{x1D709}}=(\unicode[STIX]{x1D709}_{1},\unicode[STIX]{x1D709}_{2})$ in $\mathbb{R}^{2}$, give information on Diophantine approximation properties of these points. Laurent [Exponents of Diophantine approximation in dimension two. Canad. J. Math.61 (2009), 165–189] had described all possible quadruples $(\text{}\underline{\unicode[STIX]{x1D711}}_{1},\overline{\unicode[STIX]{x1D711}}_{1},\text{}\underline{\unicode[STIX]{x1D711}}_{3},\overline{\unicode[STIX]{x1D711}}_{3})$ arising in this way. Our emphasis here will be on $\text{}\underline{\unicode[STIX]{x1D711}}_{2},\overline{\unicode[STIX]{x1D711}}_{2}$ and the construction of suitable “$3$-systems”.

Answering two questions of Beresnevich and Velani, we develop zero-one laws in both simultaneous and multiplicative Diophantine approximation. Our proofs mainly rely on a versatile Cassels–Gallagher type theorem and the cross fibering principle of Beresnevich, Haynes and Velani.

The Littlewood conjecture states that for all (α,β)∈ℝ2. We show that with the additional factor of log q⋅log log q, the statement is false. Indeed, our main result implies that the set of (α,β) for which is of full dimension.

The Hausdorff dimension and measure of the set of simultaneously ψ-approximable points lying on integer polynomial curves is obtained for sufficiently small error functions.

Building on the work of Davenport and Schmidt, we mainly prove two results. The first one is a version of Gel'fond's transcendence criterion which provides a sufficient condition for a complex or p-adic number $\xi$ to be algebraic in terms of the existence of polynomials of bounded degree taking small values at $\xi$ together with most of their derivatives. The second one, which follows from this criterion by an argument of duality, is a result of simultaneous approximation by conjugate algebraic integers for a fixed number $\xi$ that is either transcendental or algebraic of sufficiently large degree. We also present several constructions showing that these results are essentially optimal.