Padovan and Perrin numbers as product of two repdigits (Q2161093): Difference between revisions

Let \((P_n)_{n\ge 0}\) and \((E_n)_{n\ge 0}\) be the sequences of \textit{Padovan numbers} and \textit{Perrin numbers}, respectively, defined by the linear recurrences: \begin{align*} P_0=P_1=P_2=1 \quad \text{and} \quad & P_{n+3}=P_{n+1}+P_n\quad \text{for all} \quad n\ge 0, \quad \text{and}\\ E_0=2, ~ E_1=0, ~ E_2=2 \quad \text{and} \quad & E_{n+3}=E_{n+1}+E_n \quad \text{for all} \quad n\ge 0. \end{align*} In the paper under review, the authors completely study the Diophantine equations: \[ P_k=\frac{d_1(10^{m}-1)}{9}\cdot=\frac{d_2(10^{n}-1)}{9} \quad \text{and} \quad E_k=\frac{d_1(10^{m}-1)}{9}\cdot=\frac{d_2(10^{n}-1)}{9},\tag{1} \] in positive integers \((n,m,k,d_1,d_2)\), with \(1\le d_1,d_2\le 9\) and \(1\le m\le n\). In their main results, the authors prove that: the largest Padovan number which is a product of two repdigits is \(P_{24}=8\cdot 77\); and the largest Perrin number which is a product of two repdigits is \(E_{11}=1\cdot 22=2\cdot 11\). Furthermore, the authors list down all the solutions to the Diophantine equations (1) with \(d_1(10^{m}-1)/9 \le d_2(10^{n}-1)/9\). To prove their results, the authors use a clever combination of techniques in Diophantine number theory, the usual properties of the Padovan and Perrin sequences, Baker's theory of nonzero linear forms in logarithms of algebraic numbers, as well as reduction techniques involving the theory of continued fractions. All computations are done with the aid of a computer program in \texttt{Maple}.