Polynomial values of figurate numbers (Q2187121)

In this paper the authors prove effective and ineffective finiteness results for polynomial values of figurate numbers. Let \(k\), \(m\) be integers with \(k\geq 2\) and \(m \geq 2\), and define the \(x\)-th figurate number with parameters \(k\) and \(m\) by \[ f_{k,m}(x)=\frac{x(x+1)\cdots(x+k-2)((m-2)x+k+2-m)}{k!}. \] These numbers are common generalizations of binomial coefficients, pyramidal and polygonal numbers. The authors prove results for the finiteness of the number of solutions of the equation \[ f_{k,m}(x)=y, \] under the assumption \(k\geq 4\) and \(m \geq 4\). In the case when \(\deg g\in \{0,2\}\) (with the exception \((k,m)\in \{(4,4), (4,6)\}\) ) their result is effective, and the values \((k,m)\in \{(4,4), (4,6)\}\) have to be excluded since in these cases the above equation may lead to Pellian equations having infinitely many solutions. The authors also prove a general ineffective finiteness result when \(\deg g \geq 3\), with some exceptional cases, in which the authors show that there can be infinitely many solutions, as well as in the case \(\deg g = 1\).