Expressing \((a^ 2+b^ 2+c^ 2+d^ 2)^ 3\) as a sum of 23 sixth powers (Q1337182)

For any even number \(q\) we look for \(N\) points \(P^{(i)}= [P^{(i)}_ 1,P^{(i)}_ 2,\dots, P^{(i)}_ d]\in R^ d\) and positive \(c_ i\in R\), \(1\leq i\leq N\), such that the following identity is true \[ \left(\sum^ d_{i=1} x^ 2_ i\right)^{{9\over 2}}= \sum^ n_{i=1} c_ i\left[\sum^ d_{j=1} P^{(i)}_ j x_ j\right]^ q. \] Let \(N(d,q)\) be the smallest value of \(N\) for which the above identity is true. It is well known that \(N(4,6)\leq 24\). This note is aimed at establishing the above identity for \(d= 4\), \(q= 6\) and \(N= 23\), thus proving thereby that \(N(4,6)\leq 23\) which is an improvement over \(N(4,6)\leq 24\). The authors failed to produce a 22-termed identity by using computers leading them to conjecture \(N(4,6)= 23\). Future work on establishing identities on \(N(d,q)\) for other values of \((d,q)\) is said to be in progress.