On repdigits which are sums or differences of two \(k\)-Pell numbers (Q6180426)

Let \( k\ge 2 \) be an integer. The \( k \)-generalized Pell sequence \( \{P_n^{(k)}\}_{n\ge -(k-2)} \) is given by the \( k \)-term linear recurrence relation \begin{align*} P_{n}^{(k)}=2P_{n-1}^{(k)}+P_{n-2}^{(k)}+\cdots+P_{n-k}^{(k)}, \quad \text{for all} \quad n\ge 2, \end{align*} with the initial conditions \( P_{-(n-2)}^{(k)}=P_{-(n-3)}^{(k)} =\cdots=P_{0}^{(k)}=0\) and \( P_{1}^{(k)}=1 \). When \( k=2 \), this sequence coincides with the classical Pell sequence \( \{P_n\}_{n\ge 0} \). In the paper under review, the authors find all repdigits which are sums or differences of two \(k\)-generalized Pell numbers. In other words, they study the Diophantine equation \begin{align*} P_n^{(k)}\pm P_m^{(k)} = a\left(\dfrac{10^{\ell}-1}{9}\right), \tag{1} \end{align*} in positive integers \( (n,m,\ell,k,a) \) with \( k\ge 2 \), \( 1\le m\le n \), \( \ell \ge 2 \), and \( 1\le a\le 9 \). Their main result is the following. Theorem 1. The repdigits expressible as sums or differences of two \(k\)--generalized Pell numbers are \(11, 33, 55, 88,\) and \(99\). Namely, \begin{align*} 11&=P_4-P_1=P_4^{(k)}-P_2^{(k)} \quad \text{for all} \quad k\ge 3,\\ 33&=P_5^{(k)}-P_1^{(k)} \qquad\qquad\qquad \text{for all} \quad k\ge 4,\\ 55&=P_6^{(k)}-P_5^{(k)} \qquad\qquad\qquad \text{for all} \quad k\ge 5,\\ 88&=P_6^{(k)}-P_1^{(k)} \qquad\qquad\qquad \text{for all} \quad k\ge 5,\\ 99&=P_6+P_5=P_7-P_6. \end{align*} To prove Theorem 1 the authors use a clever combination of techniques in Diophantine number theory, the usual properties of the \( k \)-generalized Pell sequence, Baker's theory of non-zero lower bounds for linear forms in logarithms of algebraic numbers, and reduction techniques involving the theory of continued fractions. All numerical computations are done with the aid of simple computer programs in \texttt{Mathematica} and \texttt{Maple}.