A note on the diophantine equation \(a^x+b^y=c^z\) (Q1387869): Difference between revisions

This paper deals with the following conjecture: If \(a\), \(b\), \(c\), \(p\), \(q\), \(r\) are fixed positive rational integers such that \(a^p+b^q=c^r\), with \(p\), \(q\), \(r\geq 2\) and \(a\) and \(b\) coprime, then the diophantine equation \(a^x+b^y=c^z\) has only the positive integral solution \((x,y,z)=(p,q,r)\). Here the authors consider the special case \(p=q=2\) and \(r\) odd \({}\geq 3\). They prove the following two results, when \(a\), \(b\) and \(c\) are given by \[ \begin{aligned} a&= \pm m \sum_{j=0}^{(r-1)/2} (-1)^j {r \choose 2j} m^{r-(2j+1)},\\ b&= \pm \sum_{j=0}^{(r-1)/2} (-1)^j {r \choose 2j+1} m^{r-(2j+1)}, \end{aligned} \] and \(c=m^2+1\), where \(m\) is an even integer. Theorem 1: Let \(r\) be an odd prime. Let \(a\), \(b\), \(c\) be positive integers as above, with \(m\geq 6\) and \(2 \parallel m\). Suppose that \(b\) is an odd prime such that \(b \equiv -1 \pmod m\), or \(b \equiv -1 \pmod 4\), or \((b/a')=-1\) (Jacobi symbol). Then the above conjecture holds in this case. Theorem 2: Let \(a\), \(b\), \(c\), \(r\) be as in Theorem 1. If \(m=2\), then if \(b\) is an integer such that \(b \equiv -1\pmod 3\), or \(b \equiv -1\pmod 4\), or \((b/a')=-1\) (where \(a=2a'\)). Then the above conjecture holds also in this case. The proof is elementary and uses results of \textit{C. Størmer} [S. M. F. Bull. 27, 160-170 (1899; JFM 30.0188.01)] and \textit{D. H. Lehmer} [Bull. Am. Math. Soc. 36, 847-850 (1930; JFM 56.0875.05)].