No label defined (Q3150832)

Part I, cf. Applications of Fibonacci numbers. Vol. 7, Graz, 1996, 295-309 (1998; Zbl 0916.11006). This paper is a survey on Diophantine properties of linear recursive sequences; the main topic is the exponential-polynomial equation \(G_n=P(y)\), where \((G_n)\) is a linear recursive sequence of rational integers. The very important special case \(G_n=y^q\) is considered first. Assuming that the characteristic polynomial of \((G_n)\) has a (simple) dominant root one can prove that \(q\) is bounded above [see \textit{T. N. Shorey} and \textit{C. L. Stewart}, Math. Scand. 52, 24-36 (1983; Zbl 0503.10011)]; the author gives an explicit upper bound for \(q\). For example, in the cases \(G_{n+2}=A_1G_{n+1}+A_2G_{n}\) with \(G_0=2\), \(G_1=A_1\) and \((A_1,A_2)=(1,-1)\) or \((2,-1)\), he obtains \(q<13222\). Using recent results of \textit{P. Corvaja} and \textit{U. Zannier} [Acta Arith. 94, 25-40 (2000; Zbl 0963.11020)], in the case of a ternary linear recursive sequence, assuming that the characteristic polynomial of \((G_n)\) is irreducible and has a dominant root the author proves that the equation \(G_n=y^q\) has only finitely many solutions. Binary recursive sequences are studied in more detail in the following sections. In particular, a method for determining the squares in such sequences is studied in detail. Two theoretical tools play a fundamental role in the proofs: Baker's theory of linear forms in logarithms of algebraic numbers and the subspace theorem of W. M. Schmidt. Recall that the first method leads to effective results, but not the second one.