Asymptotic Fermat for signature \((4, 2, p)\) over number fields (Q6101540): Difference between revisions

Let \(K\) be a number field. Using the modular method, the author proves asymptotic results on solutions of the Diophantine equation \(x^4 - y^2 = z^p\) over \(K\), assuming some deep but standard conjectures of the Langlands programme when \(K\) has at least one complex embedding (Theorem 1.1). Unconditional results are obtained in case of totally real extensions having odd narrow class number and a unique prime above \(2\). When modularity of elliptic curves over \(K\) is known, then effective asymptotic results hold (Corollaries 1.2 and 1.3). The author uses the well known strategy, but the corresponding steps are more complicated. Subsection 2.1 introduces the corresponding Frey curves over \(K\) and collects related facts concerning Galois representations. Modularity, level lowering the level and Eichler-Shimura are discussed in subsections 2.2 and 2.3. Subsection 2.4 handles the last step of the modular method, giving the proofs of Theorem 1.1, and Corollaries 1.2 and 1.3.