Representing \(n\) as \(n=x+y+z\) with \(x^2+y^2+z^2\) a square (Q6093312)

For given \(k\in\{3,4,5,\ldots\}\), the authors investigate for which positive integers \(n\) the system of Diophantine equations \[ \begin{cases} x_1+\cdots + x_k=n,\\ x_1^2+\cdots +x_k^2=y^2 \end{cases} \] has solutions \(x_1,\ldots,x_k,y\in \mathbb Z^+\). It is first shown that for \(k\geq 4\), this system has solutions for all \(n>\mathrm{max}\{20k,1200\}\). For the case \(k=3\), the system is shown to have solutions if and only if \(n\) is neither of the form \(2^a3^b\) nor \(2^a7\) for \(a,b\in\mathbb N\), as conjectured by the second author in 2013. The methods of proof are quite classical, with a lemma of Cauchy and an analysis of the integers represented by the indefinite ternary quadratic form \(x^2+y^2-3z^2\) being main ingredients.