A Diophantine problem concerning third order matrices (Q7005346)

Following [\textit{E. A. Molnar}, Am. Math. Mon. 81, 383--384 (1974; Zbl 0297.55006)] the problem whether the Grothendieck group \(G(P)\) has torsion, where \(P\) is the set of homotopy types of base-pointed finite \(CW\)-complexes, inspires the following purely number theoretical problem: Find an \(n \times n\) integer matrix \((a_{ij})\) with no \(a_{ij} =\pm 1\), such that \(\det{(a_{ij})}=1\) and also \(\det{(a_{ij}^2)}=1\). The problem was solved in [\textit{A. Dănescu} et al., Rev. Roum. Math. Pures Appl. 46, No. 4, 419--430 (2001; Zbl 1035.15020)]. In Problem F28, pp. 265--266 of [\textit{R. K. Guy}, Unsolved problems in number theory. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Springer-Verlag (1994; Zbl 0805.11001)] a similar problem was stated for the cubes of \(3\times 3\) integer matrices. \N\NIn the paper under review the author constructs \(3\times 3\) integer matrices \((a_{ij}(t))\) such that \(a_{ij}(t)\not=\pm 1\), \(\det{(a_{ij}(t))}=1\) and \(\det{(a_{ij}^3(t))}=1\). The entries of the matrices are quadratic polynomials depending on a parameter \(t\). Then the author generalizes this result and constructs a family of integer matrices with entries depending on 6 parameters and different from \(\pm 1\) such that \(\det{(a_{ij})}=k\) and \(\det{(a_{ij}^3)}=k^3\), where the integer \(k\) depends on the parameters.