An exponential Diophantine equation related to the sum of powers of two consecutive terms of a Lucas sequence and \(x\)-coordinates of Pell equations (Q2052782): Difference between revisions

Consider the sequence of Lucas numbers \(U_n\) with recurrence relation \(U_{n+2}=rU_{n+1}+U_n\) for a positive integer \(r\) and the sequence \(X_l\) of the \(X\)-coordinates of Pell equation \(|X^2-dY^2|=1\) for a nonsquare integer \(d>1\). Letting \(\alpha=(r+\sqrt{r^2+4})/2\) and \(\beta=(r-\sqrt{r^2+4})/2\) for the roots of the characteristic polynomial \(X^2-rX-1\) of the Lucas sequence which get the Binet formula \(U_n=\frac{\alpha^n-\beta^n}{\alpha-\beta}\). For the Diophantine equations \[ U_{n_1}^x+U_{n_1+1}^x=X_{l_1}, \quad U_{n_2}^x+U_{n_2+1}^x=X_{l_2},\] with \(1\le l_1<l_2\) and \(0\le n_1<n_2\) and \(x\ge1\), the authors' main result is \[ x<2.8\cdot10^{195}(\log(2.5\log\alpha))^{16}(\log\alpha)^{11}, \] \[ n_1<n_2<8.75\cdot10^{135}(\log(2.5\log\alpha)^{13}(\log\alpha^9)),\] \[ l_1<l_2<4.9\cdot10^{295}(\log(2.5\log\alpha))^{29}(\log\alpha)^{21}. \] The main step of proof is a bound of logarithms by \textit{E. M. Matveev} [Izv. Ross. Akad. Nauk Ser. Mat. 64(6), 125--180 (2000, Zbl 1013.11043)]. Setting \(r=1\) the authors' numerical result for Fibonacci numbers is \(n_1\le400\), \(x\le1180\) (here \(x\ge3\)), \(n_2<1.8\cdot{10}^{29}\) and \(l_2<2.2\cdot{10}^{32}\).