Two real numbers $a, b \in \mathbb{R}$ lie in the same square class if there exists a nonzero $u \in \mathbb{R}$ such that $a = b \cdot u^2$ (equivalently, $a$ and $b$ have the same sign).
Instances For
Reflexivity: any nonzero $a \in \mathbb{Q}_p$ is in the same square class as itself, witnessed by $u = 1$.
Transitivity of the same-square-class relation in $\mathbb{Q}_p$.
If $r$ is in the same square class as $s/x$ in $\mathbb{Q}_p$, then $r \cdot s$ is in the same square class as $x$. Used to rescale the approximating rational.
The $p$-adic valuation of $p^v$ in $\mathbb{Q}$ is $v$ (for $v \in \mathbb{Z}$).
Given pairwise distinct primes $p_0, \dots, p_{n-1}$, the $p_i$-adic norm of $\prod_j p_j^{v_j}$ equals the $p_i$-adic norm of $p_i^{v_i}$ alone (the other factors are units at $p_i$).
For a prime $q$ different from each $p_i$, the $q$-adic norm of $\prod_i p_i^{v_i}$ is $1$.
Two $p$-adic units $u, v \in \mathbb{Z}_p^\times$ that are congruent modulo $p^e$ (with $e = 3$ if $p = 2$ and $e = 1$ otherwise) are in the same square class in $\mathbb{Q}_p^\times$. The proof applies Hensel's lemma to the polynomial $X^2 - (u/v)$.
Existence of a simultaneous prime approximation. Given finitely many distinct primes $p_1, \dots, p_n$ and units $u_i \in \mathbb{Z}_{p_i}^\times$, there exists a prime $p_0$ not among the $p_i$ such that $p_0$ is in the same square class as $u_i$ in $\mathbb{Q}_{p_i}$ for each $i$. Combines CRT and Dirichlet's theorem on primes in arithmetic progressions.
If a rational $y$ has the same $p_i$-adic norm as $x_i$ for each $i$, then $y \cdot x_i^{-1}$ is a unit in $\mathbb{Q}_{p_i}$ for each $i$.
Lemma 11.11 (Square-class weak approximation). Given a finite set $S$ of places of $\mathbb{Q}$ (a finite set of primes $\{p_i\}$, possibly together with the infinite place) and nonzero elements $x_i \in \mathbb{Q}_{p_i}^\times$ (and a sign $x_\infty \in \mathbb{R}^\times$ if the infinite place is in $S$), there exists $x \in \mathbb{Q}^\times$ that is in the same square class as $x_i$ at every place in $S$ and is a $q$-adic unit at every prime $q$ outside $S$, with at most one possible exception.