ON THE EQUATION x(x+d)…(x+(k-1)d)=by 2 (Q4493393)

The authors are concerned with the title equation with \(k\geq 3\), \((x,d)=1\), and \(P(b)\leq k\), where \(P(n)\) denotes the largest prime divisor of \(n\). Many results on this equation have appeared in recent years. In this paper new bounds are given for the solutions and the number of solutions of this equation. More precisely, the authors prove: If \((x,d,k,b,y)\) is a solution with \(k\geq 8\) and \(d>1\), then \(x< 4d^4(\log d)^4\). As a direct consequence of this theorem and some recent results of \textit{M. A. Bennett} [J. Reine Angew. Math. 498, 173--199 (1998; Zbl 1044.11011)] and \textit{N. Saradha} [Acta Arith. 86, 27--43 (1998; Zbl 0920.11018)], they also obtain the following result: Let \(d>1\). The equation has at most \(cd^6\) solutions \((x,k,b,y)\), where \(c\) is an effectively computable absolute constant.