On binomial Thue-Mahler equations (Q2567412)

The main result of this paper gives an upper estimate for \(n\) in an equation of the form \(ax^n +by^n = \pm p_1^{z_1} \cdots p_s^{z_s}\), where \(p_i\)'s are primes not dividing the integers \(a\) and \(b\) and the exponents \(z_i\) are nonnegative. The inequality \(n \leq 39650sP(\log P) \log A\) holds when \(a/b\) and \(x/y\) are multiplicatively independent, and \(n \leq P + \log A\) otherwise. Here \(P\) is the maximum of \(p_i\)'s and \(3\), and \(A\) is the maximum of \(| a| , | b| \) and \(3\). This generalizes the case \(s=1\) considered earlier by the first author [Acta Arith. 80, No. 3, 213--223 (1997; Zbl 0877.11022)]. As a corollary the authors obtain a lower bound for the greatest prime factor \(P(ax^n + by^n)\) of the binary form \(ax^n + by^n\). This is of order of magnitude of \(n^{1/2}\) with explicit constants.