A short note on the equations of Fermat and Catalan (Q749572)

The following theorems are proved: Theorem 1. Let f(x,y,z) be an non-constant homogeneous polynomial with coefficients in \({\mathbb{Z}}\). Suppose the associated curve C(f) is smooth and also (a) C(f) contains no point \(P\in {\mathbb{P}}_ 2({\mathbb{C}})\) with two coordinates equal to 0. (b) For each point \(P\in C(f)\) with one coordinate equal to 0, each one of the two partial derivatives of f relative to the other coordinates does not vanish at P. (c) \(f(\pm 1\), \(\pm 1\), \(\pm 1)\neq 0.\) Let \(S_ 1,S_ 2,...\), be finite sets of positive integers greater than 1. Then there exists a sequence \(r_ 1,r_ 2,...\), of positive integers, such that the sets \(r_ k+S_ k=\{r_ k+s| s\in S_ k\}\) are pairwise disjoint and the equation \(f(x^ n,y^ n,z^ n)=0\) has only trivial solutions, for every \(n\in \cup^{\infty}_{k=1}(r_ k+S_ k).\) In particular, if \(f(x,y,z)=x+y-z\), this becomes a statement about Fermat's last theorem. Theorem 2. Let \(f\in {\mathbb{Q}}[x]\) be a polynomial such that f(0), \(f(\pm 1)\) are not proper powers and f(x) has at least one simple zero, different from 0. Given the sequence of finite sets \(S_ 1,S_ 2,..\). of positive integers, there exists a sequence \(r_ 1,r_ 2,...,of\) positive integers such that the equation \(f(x^ m)=y^ z\) (in the variables x,y,z) has no solution (x,y,z) in integers with \(| y| \geq 2\), \(z\geq 2\), for every \(m\in \cup^{\infty}_{k=1}(r_ k+S_ k).\) Taking \(f(x)=(a/b)x-c/b\), where a,b,c are non-zero integers \((\pm a- c)/b\), -c/b are not proper powers, this becomes a statement about the equations \(ax^ m-by^ n=c\). In the special case of Catalan's equation \(x^ m-y^ n=1\), the present result is weaker than Tijdeman's theorem.