A singular \(K3\) surface related to sums of consecutive cubes (Q5935913)

The main object of the paper under review is an elliptic \(K3\) surface \(S\) related to the diophantine equation \[ m^3+(m+1)^3+(m+2)^3+\dots +(m+k-1)^3=t^3. \] To be more precise, after the change of coordinates \(x=k\), \(y=2m+k-1\), \(z=2l\) and projectivization one gets a quartic surface \(S_0\) given by the equation \(XY(X^2+Y^2-W^2)=Z^3W\). Since \(S_0\) has only rational double points as its singularities, its minimal non-singular model \(S\) is a \(K3\) surface. The authors study geometric properties of \(S\). They regard \(S\) as an elliptic surface and compute the Mordell--Weil lattice and its determinant; this allows them to identify \(S\) with one of the surfaces appearing in the classification of \textit{T. Shioda} and \textit{H. Inose} [in: Complex Anal. algebr. Geom., Collect. Pap. dedic. K. Kodaira, 119-136 (1977; Zbl 0374.14006)]. However, since this identification uses transformations defined over some extension of \(\mathbb Q\), more subtle arithmetic arguments are needed to treat the original diophantine problem. Such arguments give the existence of infinitely many non-trivial solutions all lying on a rational curve on \(S\). (Such solutions appeared in a work of \textit{C. Pagliani} going back to 1829-30.) Finally, the authors compute the Hasse-Weil zeta function of \(S\) in terms of a Hecke character.