A note on Catalan's equation
The author gives a combinatorial tool to get density estimates in number theory. The result should be summarized as follows: Let \(Z(m,n)\) \((m,n\in\mathbb N)\) be a sequence of sets with \(Z(m,n)\supseteq Z(um,vn)\) for \(u,v\in\mathbb N\). For \(N\in \mathbb N\) define \[ D_ N=\{(m,n)\mid 1\leq m,n\leq N\;\text{and}\;Z(m,n)=\emptyset \}. \] Proposition: If there exists a constant \(C\) such that (1) \(Z(m,n)\) is finite (or void) for \(m,n\geq C\); (2) for \(m,n\geq C\) there exists \(h=h_{(m,n)}\geq 1\) such that \(Z(um,vn)=\emptyset\) if \(u,v\geq h\). Then \[ \lim_{N\to \infty}(\#D_ N/N^ 2)=1. \] The author applies his result to the number \(Z(m,n)\) of non-trivial integer solutions \((x,y)\) of the Catalan-Pillai equation \[ aX^ m-b Y^ n=k,\quad a,b,k\in\mathbb Z\setminus\{0\},\tag{*} \] proving (1) by use of Siegel's theorem and (2) by \textit{M. Filaseta}'s ``trick'' [see C. R. Math. Acad. Sci., Soc. R. Can. 6, 31--32 (1984; Zbl 0533.10010)].
scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3968671