Shifted powers in Lucas-Lehmer sequences (Q2316334)

Let \(\{u_n\}_{n\ge 0}\) be a binary recurrent sequence of integers. Under mild hypotheses, \textit{T. N. Shorey} and \textit{C. L. Stewart} [Math. Scand. 52, 24--36 (1983; Zbl 0491.10016)] showed that for fixed integers \(a,b\), the equation \(u_n+a=by^p\) has only finitely many integer solutions \((n,p,y)\) which are effectively computable. However, the bounds arising from their method are too large for any practical application. In the paper under review, the authors present a method for finding all such solutions in the particular case when \(\{u_n\}_{n\ge 0}\) is a Lucas sequence whose characteristic equation has roots which are quadratic units generating a real quadratic field \({\mathbb K}\). The authors illustrate their approach by finding all the solutions to the equation \(F_n\pm 2=y^p\), where \(\{F_n\}_{n\ge 0}\) is the Fibonacci sequence. In this case, the authors reduce the above equation to a ternary equation attached to a Frey-Hellegouarch curve of signature \((p,p,2)\) defined over \({\mathbb K}={\mathbb Q}({\sqrt{5}})\) for which the authors apply a combination between the information obtained by level lowering of the mod \(p\) representation of the appropriate curve and linear forms in two and three logarithms. The bounds are still very large (\(p<5000\) and \(n<10^{5\times 10^6}\)), and to finish the problem they reduce them using a modular sieve based on a Chinese Remainder Theorem by putting every such putative \(n\) into some residue class modulo various appropriate primes.