Diophantine definability of infinite discrete nonarchimedean sets and Diophantine models over large subrings of number fields

Abstract

We prove that infinite p-adically discrete sets have Diophantine definitions in large subrings of some number fields. First, if K is a totally real number field or a totally complex degree-2 extension of a totally real number field, then there exists a prime p of K and a set of K-primes S of density arbitrarily close to 1 such that there is an infinite p-adically discrete set that is Diophantine over the ring O_{K,S} of S-integers in K. Second, if K is a number field over which there exists an elliptic curve of rank 1, then there exists a set of K-primes S of density 1 and an infinite Diophantine subset of O_{K,S} that is v-adically discrete for every place v of K. Third, if K is a number field over which there exists an elliptic curve of rank 1, then there exists a set of K-primes S of density 1 such that there exists a Diophantine model of Z over O_{K,S}. This line of research is motivated by a question of Mazur concerning the distribution of rational points on varieties in a non-archimedean topology and questions concerning extensions of Hilbert's Tenth Problem to subrings of number fields.