On the equation \(x^ 4+mx^ 2y^ 2+y^ 4=z^ 2\) (Q1345282)

In this paper the solutions of the equation (1) \(x^ 4+ mx^ 2 y^ 2+ y^ 4= z^ 2\), \(m\in \mathbb{Z}\), in rational integers \(x,y, z>0\), with \((x,y) =1\), are studied. A solution is said to be trivial if either \(xy=0\) or \(x=y=1\). The nontrivial solutions of (1) occur precisely when the elliptic curve \(E: Y^ 2= X(X^ 2+ mX+1)\) has Mordell-Weil rank strictly positive. Under the assumption that the Taniyama-Weil conjecture and the Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture are true, calculations with the \(L\)-series of \(E\) are performed to determine solvability of (1) for all \(m\) in the range \(| m|\leq 3.000\). A table of solutions of (1) for the solvable cases in the range \(| m|\leq 200\) is given. Also, tables with statistical information on the distribution of Mordell-Weil ranks and conjectural orders of Shafarevich-Tate groups in the range \(| m|\leq 3.000\) are given.