On the equations \(\frac{m}{n} = \frac{1}{x} \pm \frac{1}{y} \pm \frac {1}{z}\) (Q1983197)

The present research deals with equations of the following form: \[ \frac{m}{n}=\frac{1}{x}\pm \frac{1}{y}\pm\frac{1}{z}, \] where \(m =4, 5, 6, 7\) and \(n >1\) is a given positive integer. It is shown that ``the equations (with at least one minus sign) have solutions \(x, y, z\), where \(z > y > x > 0\) for sufficiently large \(n\)''. The division of the last-mentioned equations into Diophantine equations of certain types is given. In the survey of this paper, related results of Stewart and Webb, as well as Straus and Subbarao are noted. Also, for the case \[ \frac{m}{n}=\frac{1}{x}+ \frac{1}{y}+\frac{1}{z} \] and positive integers \(x, y, z\), the special attention was given to conjectures of Erdös-Straus (\(m=4\)), Schinzel (\(m\ge 1\)), and Sierpiński (\(m=5\)).