Solving families of simultaneous Pell equations (Q1377598): Difference between revisions

Let \(a,b\) be distinct nonzero integers and consider the number of solutions of the simultaneous equations \[ x^2-az^2=1,\quad y^2-bz^2=1\quad\text{in }(x,y,z)\in\mathbb{Z}^3. \] The author [On the number of solutions of simultaneous Pell equations, J. Reine Angew. Math. 498, 173-199 (1998)] showed that the above system of equations has at most three solutions. An infinite parametric family of \(a,b\) is given for which two solutions are explicitly given. The author conjectures that the number of solutions is in fact always two. Using a sharp estimate of Voutier for linear forms in three logarithms of algebraic numbers it is shown that in the above mentioned infinite parametric family the number of solutions is indeed two except for at most finitely many values of the parameter.