Integral points on curves \(\frac{f(X)-f(Y)}{X-Y}\) (Q2152846)

Let \(f(X)\) be a complex polynomial of degree \(d\geq 2\) and let \(\mathcal{O}\) be a finitely generated subring of \(\mathbb{C}\). Consider the affine plane curve \(C\) defined by the equation \(F(X,Y) = 0\), where \[F(X,Y) = \frac{f(X)-f(Y)}{X-Y}.\] Suppose that the polynomial \(F(X,Y)\) has an irreducible factor \(\Phi(X,Y)\) defining a curve with at most two points at infinity. Then, it is proved that \(\deg \Phi \leq 2\) and there are an integer \(n > 1\) and polynomials \(g, l \in \mathbb{C}[X]\), with \(\deg l = 1\), such that \(f = g \circ S_n \circ l\). If \(\deg \Phi = 1\), then \(S_n\) is the cyclic polynomial of degree \(n\), \(X^n\), and if \(\deg \Phi = 2\), \(S_n\) is the Chebyshev polynomial of degree \(n\) (which is the unique polynomial \(T_n\) satisfying the identity \(T_n(Z +Z^{-1}) = Z^n +Z^{-n}\). Further, if \(\deg \Phi = 1\), then \(\Phi\) divides \(l(X)^n - l(Y)^n\), and if \(\deg \Phi = 2\), \(\Phi\) is symmetric and either it divides \(S_n(l(X)) - S_n(l(Y))\), or \(g\) is even and \(\Phi\) divides \(S_n(l(X)) + S_n(l(Y))\). A consequence of the above result is that in case where the curve \(C\) has infinitely many points over \(\mathcal{O}\), then there are an integer \(n > 1\), and polynomials \(g, l \in \mathbb{C}[X]\), with \(\deg l = 1\), such that \(f = g \circ S_n \circ l\), where \(S_n\) is either the cyclic or the Chebyshev polynomial of degree \(n\).