Diophantine quadruples with the properties \(D(n_1)\) and \(D(n_2)\) (Q2293120)

Let \(n\) be nonzero integer. A set of distinct nonzero integers \(\{a_1, \ldots, a_m\}\) such that \(a_i a_j+n\) is a perfect square for all \(1\le i< j\le m\) is called a \(D(n)\)-\(m\)-\textit{tuple} or a \textit{Diophantine} \(m\)-\textit{tuple} with the \(D(n)\) property. The most studied case is \(n=1\) and \(D(1)\)-\(m\)-tuples are called Diophantine \(m\)-tuples. Fermat found the first Diophantine quadruple, \(\{1, 3, 8, 120\}\). Baker and Davenport, using the theory of linear forms in logarithms of algebraic numbers and the reduction method introduced in their famous paper, proved that the set \(\{1, 3, 8\}\) can be extended to a Diophantine quadruple only by adding \(120\) to the set. The first author of this paper in [J. Reine Angew. Math. 566, 183--214 (2004; Zbl 1037.11019)], proved that there are no Diophantine sextuples and that there are at most finitely many Diophantine quintuples. Let \(n_1\) and \(n_2\) be two distinct nonzero integers, if \(\{a,b,c,d\}\) is \(D(n_1)\) and \(D(n_2)\)-quadruple and \(u\) is a nonzero rational number such that \(au, bu, cu, du, n_1u^2,\) and \(n_2u^2\) are integers, then \(\{ au, bu, cu, du\}\) is a \(D(n_1u^2)\) and \(D(n_2u^2)\)-quadruple. These two quadruples are said to be equivalent. In the paper under review, the authors show that there are infinitely many essentially different quadruples which are simultaneously \(D(n_1)\)-quadruples and \(D(n_2)\)-quadruples with \(n_1\ne n_2\). That is, they prove the following theorem, which is their main result. Theorem 1. There are infinitely many nonequivalent sets of four distinct nonzero integers \(\{a,b,c,d\}\) with the property that there exist two distinct nonzero integers \(n_1\) and \(n_2\) such that \(\{a,b,c,d\}\) is a \(D(n_1)\)-quadruple and a \(D(n_2)\)-quadruple. The proof of Theorem 1 follows from a clever combination of techniques in number theory, the theory of hyperelliptic curves, and the related results on the subject in the literature. Their results are also well illustrated with numerical examples.