A system of Pellian equations and related two-parametric family of quartic Thue equations (Q2566509): Difference between revisions

The following two-parametric Thue equation is considered: \[ x^4-2mnx^3y+2(m^2-n^2+1)x^2y^2+2mnxy^3+y^4=1 \;, \] where the parameters \(m,n\) are integers and \(n\neq 0,\pm 1\). First, following the strategy proposed by this reviewer ``Explicit solution of a class of quartic Thue equations'' [Acta Arith. 64, 271--283 (1993; Zbl 0774.11014)] the author reduces its solution to that of the system \[ V^2-(m^2+2)U^2=-2\,,\;\; Z^2-(n^2-2)U^2=2 \;. \] Dealing with the system of Pellian equations has two main advantages. First, all algebraic-arithmetic data needed are easily accessible. Second, the application of the theory of linear forms in logarithms leads to a linear form in three logarithms, while the application of the same method directly to the initial Thue equation would have led to linear forms in four logarithms and three unknown integral coefficients and, consequently to considerably larger upper bounds. The main result of the paper is that, for every \(\varepsilon\) in the interval \((0.5,1]\) there exists explicitly computable constant \(C(\varepsilon)\) such that, if \(m\neq 0\) and \(\max\{m,n\}\geq C(\varepsilon)\) and \(\gcd(m,n)\geq\max\{m^{\varepsilon},n^{\varepsilon}\}\), then the only solutions to the considered Thue equation are the trivial ones with \(xy=0\). To give an idea for the size of \(C(\varepsilon)\), its value is \(10^{27}\) for \(\varepsilon=0.999\), \(10^{71}\) for \(\varepsilon=0.8\) and \(10^{36836}\) for \(\varepsilon=0.501\). It is also proved that, for \(m\geq 0\) and \(n\geq 2\), the above system of Pellian equations has at most seven solutions \((V,Z,U)\).