scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1305279

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Publication:4252148





Let \(m,n\) be integers with \(1<m\leq n\) and \(d_1,d_2\) be positive rational numbers with \(d_1\not= d_2,\) if \(m=n\). The main result of the present paper is that the equation \[ x(x+d_1) \cdots (x+ (m-1)d_1) = y(y+d_2) \cdots (y + (n-1)d_2) \] admits only finitely many integral solutions \(x,y\) except for the infinite class of solutions \(x = y^2 + 3d_2y\), \(-2d_2^2 -3d_2y-y^2\) when \(m=2,n=4\) and \(d_1=2d_2^2.\) Moreover the equation admits infinitely many rational solutions \(x,y\) when \((m,n)=(2,2), (2,3), (2,4), (3,3)\) and \(m=2,n=6\), \(d_1=15d_2^3/4.\) In all other cases there are only finitely many rational solutions. The proof of the main theorem is based on a detailed analysis of the plane curve \[ C:(X(X+1) \cdots (X+m-1))- \lambda Y(Y+1)\cdots (Y+n-1), \] where \(\lambda\) denotes a non-zero complex number. It is showed that \(C\) is reducible if and only if \(m=n\), \(\lambda=1\); \(m=n\) is odd, \(\lambda=-1\) and \(m=2,n=4\), \(\lambda=1/4.\) If \(C\) is irreducible then for all but 12 explicitly given exceptions the genus of \(C\) is at least 2. In four of the 12 exceptional cases the genus is zero, while in the remaining 8 cases it is one. The main theorem of the paper now follow from results of \textit{C. L. Siegel} [Abh. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Phys.-Math. Kl. 1929, No. 1 (1929; JFM 56.0180.05)] and \textit{G. Faltings} [Invent. Math. 73, 349-366 (1983; Zbl 0588.14026)]. Remark that in Theorem 2.2., genus one case, 7. subcase the correct value of \(\lambda\) is \(\pm 2/3\sqrt{3}\) and not \(\pm 3\sqrt{3} /2\). For the entire collection see [Zbl 0911.00025].











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