The number of solutions to the generalized Pillai equation \(\pm ra^{x} \pm sb^{y}=c\). (Q1953846)

The authors consider the number \(N\) of solutions \((x,y,u,v)\) to the exponential Diophantine equation \[ (-1)^u ra^x+(-1)^v sb^y=c \] in nonnegative integers \(x\), \(y\), with \((u,v)\in \{0,1\}\), for given integers \(a>1\), \(b>1\), \(c>0\) and \(s>0\); this is a generalized form of Pillai's equation. When \(\gcd(ra,sb)=1\), they show that \(N\leq3\), except for a finite number of cases for which \(\max\{a,b,c,s,r,y\} < 2 \cdot 10^{15}\). When \(\gcd(ra,sb)>1\), they show again that \(N\leq3\), except for three infinite families of exceptional cases. They also present several different ways to generate infinitely many examples for which \(N=3\). The proofs of these sharp results are very detailed. The tools are elementary, except for estimates for two or three logarithms of algebraic numbers.