The least positive integer represented by \(\sum_{i=1}^ n x_ i /d_ i \quad (1\leqslant x_ i\leqslant d_ i -1)\) (Q1919009)

Motivated by questions about the number of solutions of certain diagonal equations over finite fields, the author studies the least positive integer \(L\) represented by \((*)\) \(\sum^n_{i=1} x_i/d_i\), where \(d_1,\dots,d_n\), \(n>1\), are fixed positive integers, and the \(x_i\) are positive integers with \(x_i\leq d_i-1\). It is proved that if \((*)\) has two, or four solutions, respectively, then \[ L=\begin{cases} n/2 &\text{if \(n\) is even}\\ (n-1)/2 &\text{if \(n\) is odd},\end{cases} \qquad L=\begin{cases} n/2\text{ or }(n-2)/2 &\text{if \(n\) is even}\\ (n-1)/2 &\text{if \(n\) is odd},\end{cases} \] respectively. If \((*)\) has three solutions, then \(n\) is necessarily even and \(L=n/2\).