On the greatest common divisor of two Cullen numbers (Q1429151): Difference between revisions

Let \(u_n\) be a non-degenerate binary recurrent sequence of integers. The author investigated in \textit{F. Luca} [Acta Arith. 109, 81--107 (2003; Zbl 1022.11004)] the greatest common divisor of \(u_m\) and \(u_n\), for \(m>n\). He proved, under some generically satisfied assumptions, the estimate \(\gcd(u_m,u_n)<\exp(c\sqrt{m})\) for a suitable constant \(c>0\). In the present paper he considers linear recurrent sequences of the form \[ u_n:=f(n)a^n+g(n)b^n \] where \(f,g\) are polynomials with integral coefficients, \(a,b\) are positive integers. He proves the following: If \(a\neq\pm b\), \(a,b\) are coprime, the rational function \(f/g\) is non constant, then there exist constants \(c_1,c_2\) such that the inequality \[ \gcd(u_m,u_n)<\exp(c_2(m\log m)^{1/2}) \] holds for all integers \(m>n>c_1\). The above statement applies in particular to the sequence of so-called Cullen numbers, namely \(C_n:= n2^n+1\). The proof depends on a result of \textit{W. Schmidt} [J. Number Theory 47, 348--358 (1994; Zbl 0814.11019)] concerning the Diophantine equation \(\alpha^x=R(x,y)\), where \(R(X,Y)\) is a rational function.