Five squares in arithmetic progression over quadratic fields (Q2436056)

Summary: We provide several criteria to show over which quadratic number fields \(\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt{D})\) there is a nonconstant arithmetic progression of five squares. This is carried out by translating the problem to the determination of when some genus five curves \(C_D\) defined over \(\mathbb{Q}\) have rational points, and then by using a Mordell-Weil sieve argument. Using an elliptic curve Chabauty-like method, we prove that, up to equivalence, the only nonconstant arithmetic progression of five squares over \(-(\sqrt{409})\) is \(7^2, 13^2, 17^2, 409, 23^2\). Furthermore, we provide an algorithm for constructing all the nonconstant arithmetic progressions of five squares over all quadratic fields. Finally, we state several problems and conjectures related to this problem.