Inhomogeneous Diophantine approximation on planar curves

The inhomogeneous metric theory for the set of simultaneously $\psi$-approximable points lying on a planar curve is developed. Our results naturally incorporate the homogeneous Khintchine-Jarnik type theorems recently established in [Ann. of Math. (2), 166 (2007), pp. 367-426] and [Invent. Math., 166 (2006), pp. 103-124]. The key lies in obtaining essentially the best possible results regarding the distribution of `shifted' rational points near planar curves.