On differences of two squares in some quadratic fields (Q2477974)

From the authors' introduction: It is well known that an integer \(n\) can be represented as a difference of squares of two integers if and only if \(n\not\equiv 2 \pmod 4\). Similar result holds in the ring \(\mathbb Z[i]\) of Gaussian integers. Namely, a Gaussian integer \(z = a + bi\) is representable as a difference of squares of two Gaussian integers if and only if \(b\) is even and not both \(a\) and \(b\) are congruent to 2 modulo 4. However, it seems that in more general rings, the problem of representability as a sum of two squares is much better studied. In particular, for integers in quadratic fields this problem has been solved completely. It this paper the authors study the problem of representability as a difference of two squares in the rings of integers of quadratic fields \(\mathbb Q(\sqrt d)\). Let \(d\neq 1\) be a square-free integer. If \(d\equiv 2, 3\pmod 4\), then algebraic integers of the quadratic field \(\mathbb Q(\sqrt d)\) form the ring \(\mathbb Z[ \sqrt d]\), while if \(d\equiv 1\pmod 4\), then they form the ring \(\mathbb Z[(1+\sqrt d)/2]\). The authors consider the problem of representability as a difference of two squares in rings \(\mathbb Z[ \sqrt d]\) for non-square integers \(d\) and in rings \(\mathbb Z[(1+\sqrt d)/2]\) for non-square integers \(d\equiv 1\pmod 4\). Some of the results are valid for all such integers \(d\), but the complete solution of the problem is obtained only for integers which satisfy some additional conditions. These conditions are given in terms of solvability of certain Pellian equations.