Diophantine approximation and the equation \((a^2 c x^k - 1)(b^2 c y^k - 1) = (a b c z^k - 1)^2\) (Q2343173)

From the introduction: In 2003, \textit{Y. Bugeaud} and \textit{A. Dujella} [Math. Proc. Camb. Philos. Soc. 135, No. 1, 1--10 (2003 Zbl 1042.11019)] asked when there exists a set of \(m\) positive integers such that one more than the product of any two of the integers is a \(k\)th power, with \(k\geq 3\). Later, \textit{Y. Bugeaud} [Indag. Math., New Ser. 15, No. 1, 21--28 (2004; Zbl 1098.11022)] considered the case in which the set is of the form \(\{1, A, B\}\), with \(1 <A <B\). He noted that the desired property is equivalent to the existence of an integer solution to the equation \((x^k-1)(y^k-1) =(z^k-1)\) (with appropriate restrictions), and used this to prove that this is only possible if \(k\leq 74\). He also considered variations of the problem, one of which leads to the equation \((x^k-1)(y^k-1) =(z^k-1)^2\). \textit{M. A. Bennett} [Indag. Math., New Ser. 18, No. 4, 507--525 (2007; Zbl 1169.11015)] proved that each of these equations has no integer solutions (again, with appropriate restrictions) if \(k\geq 4\), and that this bound on \(k\) is sharp. Of interest here is a 2014 generalization of Bennett's result by \textit{Z.-F. Zhang} [J. Number Theory 136, 252--260 (2014; Zbl 1360.11060)], in which it is shown that the equation \((ax^k-1)(by^k-1) =(abz^k-1)\) has no solutions with \(a, b \in\mathbb Z_+\), \(|x| >1\), \(|y| >1\), and \(k\geq 4\). In this paper, we consider a similar modification of the equation \((x^k-1)(y^k-1) =(z^k-1)^2\) and prove that it has no solutions with \(k\geq 7\). Theorem 1. Let \(a,b,c\), and \(k\) be positive integers with \(k\geq 7\). The equation \[ (a^2cx^k - 1)(b^2cy^k - 1) = (abcz^k - 1)^2 \] has no solutions in integers with \(x, y, z>1\) and \(a^2x^k\neq b^2y^k.\) Our main tools in the proof are continued fractions and a lemma from [\textit{M. A. Bennett}, Proc. Lond. Math. Soc., III. Ser. 75, No. 1, 63--78 (1997; Zbl 0879.11038)], providing a bound on how well one can approximate certain algebraic numbers by rational numbers.