A note on the Diophantine equation \(f(x) f(y) = f(z^2)\) (Q519914)

Let \(f\) be a polynomial with rational coefficients which has no multiple roots, and let \(\deg f \geq 2\). The authors prove that the Diophantine equation \[ f(x)f(y) = f(z^2) \] has infinitely many nontrivial integer solutions for \(f(X)=X^2-(k^2 \pm 2l)X + l^2\) with \(k,l\in \mathbb{Z}, \;k\neq 0\) and \(k^2 \pm 4l\) not a square, and if the Pellian equation \(U^2-(k^2+1)V^2=k^2(k^4\pm4k^2l\pm4l)\) has a solution \((U,V)\) such that \(U\equiv k^3 \pmod{2k}\) and \(V\equiv 0 \pmod{2k}\). Further, they prove the existence of a one-parameter family of rational solutions of the above equation for \(f(X)= X^2+kX+l^2 \;(k,l\in \mathbb{Q}, \;l\neq 0)\) and \(f(X)=(X-k^2 -1/16)(X-k^2-25/16)(X-k^2-49/16) \;(k\in \mathbb{Q})\). It is also proved that there are infinitely many rational \(k\) for which the title equation has rational solutions for \(f(X)=X(X^2+X+k)\) and for \(f(X)=X(X^2+kX+1)\).