A function field variant of Pillai's problem

Abstract: In this paper, we consider a variant of Pillai's problem over function fields

F

in one variable over

m a t h b b C

. For given simple linear recurrence sequences

G_{n}

and

H_{m}

, defined over

F

and satisfying some weak conditions, we will prove that the equation

G_{n} - H_{m} = f

has only finitely many solutions

(n, m) i n m a t h b b N^{2}

for any non-zero

f i n F

, which can be effectively bounded. Furthermore, we prove that under suitable assumptions there are only finitely many effectively computable

f

with more than one representation of the form

G_{n} - H_{m}

.

Review text

In this paper, the authors consider a variant of Pillai's problem with linearly recurrent sequences defined over function fields \(\mathbf{F}\) in one variable over \({\mathbb C}\). More precisely, for simple linear recurrences \(\{G_n\}_{n\ge 0},~\{H_m\}_{m\ge 0}\) defined over \(\mathbf{F}\) and satisfying some weak conditions, they show that for a fixed \(f\) the equation \(G_n-H_m=f\) has only finitely many solutions \((m,n)\). Furthermore, under some suitable assumptions on the above sequences, there are only finitely many \(f\)'s which have more than one such representation and they are all effectively computable. Some of the results are completely explicit. For example, if \(p,q,f\) are all polynomials in \({\mathbb C}[x]\) with \(p,q\) nonconstant and \(f\) nonzero and \(p^n-q^m=f\), then \[ \max\{m,n\}\le \frac{1+\deg(f)+\deg(g)+2\deg(f)}{\min(\deg(f),\deg(g))}. \] The proofs use a theorem of Brownawell and Masser on the height of a nondegenerate solution of an \({\mathcal S}\)-unit equation in function fields.

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