Rational configuration problems and a family of curves

Abstract

Given $η=\begin{pmatrix} a&b\\c&d \end{pmatrix}\in \text{GL}_2(\mathbb{Q})$, we consider the number of rational points on the genus one curve \[H_η:y^2=(a(1-x^2)+b(2x))^2+(c(1-x^2)+d(2x))^2.\] We prove that the set of $η$ for which $H_η(\mathbb{Q})\neq\emptyset$ has density zero, and that if a rational point $(x_0,y_0)\in H_η(\mathbb{Q})$ exists, then $H_η(\mathbb{Q})$ is infinite unless a certain explicit polynomial in $a,b,c,d,x_0,y_0$ vanishes. Curves of the form $H_η$ naturally occur in the study of configurations of points in $\mathbb{R}^n$ with rational distances between them. As one example demonstrating this framework, we prove that if a line through the origin in $\mathbb{R}^2$ passes through a rational point on the unit circle, then it contains a dense set of points $P$ such that the distances from $P$ to each of the three points $(0,0)$, $(0,1)$, and $(1,1)$ are all rational. We also prove some results regarding whether a rational number can be expressed as a sum or product of slopes of rational right triangles.