The difference between the product of \(n\) consecutive integers and the \(n^{\text{th}}\) power of an integer (Q1570111): Difference between revisions

The author considers the equation \[ x(x+1)\dots (x+n+1)= y^n+k\tag{1} \] in positive integers \(x\), \(y\), \(n\) with \(n\geq 2\) and \(k\) any integer. In a remarkable result, Erdős and Selfridge showed that a product of \(n\) consecutive integers is never a perfect power, in particular, an \(n\)th power. Thus (1) with \(k=0\) never holds. In this paper, by elementary means, the author shows (i) There are only a finite number of \(x\), \(y\) and \(n\) satisfying (1). (ii) For \(k\neq 0\), \(y<|k|\), \(n< e|k|\). In fact, \(y\) and \(n\) are both \(O(|k|)^{1/3}\). (iii) the value of \(y\) that minimizes \(k\) is given by \(y= x+ [\frac{n-1}{2}]\) when \(x\) is of order \(\geq n^2\).