Simultaneous Pell equations (Q678397)

It is known that for each pair of non-zero integers, the number \(N(a,b)\) of triples of positive integers \(x,y,z\) satisfying the two Pell equations \[ x^2-az^2=1,\qquad y^2-bz^2=1\tag{1} \] is finite. In fact, this follows from Siegel's theorem that there are only finitely many integral points on a curve of genus 1. For instance, by using estimates for the number of solutions of unit equations in three variables by Schlickewei and the reviewer, one can derive an explicit, but large, upper bound for \(N(a,b)\) which is independent of \(a,b\). By means of a different method, the authors show that for each pair of distinct, non-zero integers \(a,b\) one has \(N(a,b)\leq 16\). (If one includes solutions with \(z=0\), this implies that (1) has at most \(4+8 \times 16=132\) solutions in integers \(x,y,z\).) The basic tool in the proof is a simultaneous effective irrationality measure for two square roots of rational numbers. More precisely, the authors show that if \(a,b\) are the integers from (1), \(M=\max(|a|,|b|)\), \(N\geq M^{24}\) is an integer and \(\alpha=\sqrt{1+a/N}\), \(\beta=\sqrt{1+b/N}\), then \[ \max(|\alpha-p_1/q|,|\beta-p_2/q|)\geq (200M^3N)^{-1}q^{-17/10}\tag{2} \] for all integers \(p_1,p_2,q\) with \(q\geq 1\). Recall that by Dirichlet's theorem, an exponent \(-3/2\) on \(q\) is best possible. The authors prove this by constructing many triples of integers \(p,q,r\) for which \(|p+\alpha q+\beta r|\) is small, using Padé approximations of the function \(\sqrt{1+x}\) and then applying a general result of \textit{J. H. Rickert} [Math. Proc. Camb. Philos. Soc. 113, 461-472 (1993; Zbl 0786.11040)] that the existence of such triples implies an irrationality measure of type (2). Finally, the authors obtain their upper bound for \(N(a,b)\) by combining (2) with some simple gap principles. Note by the reviewer. Recently, \textit{M. A. Bennett} [J. Reine Angew. Math. (to appear)] obtained the upper bound \(N(a,b)\leq 3\).