On \(p^x-q^y=c\) and related three term exponential Diophantine equations with prime bases. (Q1429806): Difference between revisions

The theme of this paper is the number \(N\) of solutions of the Diophantine equation \[ p^x-q^y=c \] where \(c\) is a fixed integer and \(p\) and \(q\) are prime numbers. The authors prove that, under certain hypotheses, there are at most two solutions or even at most one. For example: \(\bullet\) \ If \(c\) is positive and \(q\equiv 3\pmod 4\), then \(N\leq 1\) except when \((p,q,c)=(2,3,5)\), \((2,3,13)\) or \((13,3,10)\). \(\bullet\) \ If \(c\) is positive and \(q\not\equiv 1\pmod {12}\), then \(N\leq 1\) unless either \[ (p,q,c)=(3,2,1), \, (2,3,5), \, (2,3,13), \, (2,5,3), \, (13,3,10) \] or \[ p^2 \mid q^w-1, \quad \text{ where \(w=\text{ ord}_p q\) is odd and \({}>1\).} \] For most of these results the proofs are elementary, but for the second one above lower bounds of linear forms in two logarithms of rational numbers are applied. In many places, results of \textit{R. Scott} [J. Number Theory 44, No. 2, 153--165 (1993; Zbl 0786.11020)] are used.