On a problem of Diophantus with polynomials (Q2477951)

Let \(R\) be a commutative ring with identity and let \(m,k \geq 2\) be integers. A \(k\)-th power Diophantine \(m\)-tuple in \(R\) is an \(m\)-tuple \((a_1,\dots,a_m) \in R^m\) such that \(a_ia_j+1\) is a \(k\)-th power in \(R\) for all \(1 \leq i < j \leq m\). Given \(R\) and \(k\), it is a question of interest to find an upper bound on \(m\) for which \(k\)-th Diophantine \(m\)-tuples in \(R\) exist. For instance, the result \(m \leq 5\) has been obtained by the first author for the case \(R=\mathbb Z\) and \(k=2\) [J. Reine Angew. Math. 566, 183--214 (2004; Zbl 1037.11019)]. In the paper under review the authors consider the situation when \(R=K[X]\) is a polynomial ring in one variable over an algebraically closed field \(K\). Specifically, assume that \((a_1,\dots,a_m)\) is a \(k\)-th Diophantine \(m\)-tuple in \(K[X]\) such that not all \(a_i\) are constant polynomials, and whenever \(a_i\) and \(a_j\) are constant for \(i \neq j\), then \(a_i \neq a_j\). The authors prove that in this case \(m \leq 5\) if \(k=3\), \(m \leq 4\) if \(k=4\), \(m \leq 3\) if \(k \geq 5\), and \(m \leq 2\) for \(k\) even and \(k \geq 8\). Their method of proof involves developing a theory of Pell-like equations in \(K[X]\) along with an application of Mason's \(abc\) theorem for polynomials.