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On Diophantine tuples involving star numbers

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Abstract

In this paper, we discuss two related Diophantine tuple problems involving star numbers Sn=6n(n−1)+1S_n=6n(n-1)+1. First, we investigate classical D(k)D(k)-tuples whose elements are star numbers. We construct infinitely many D(k)D(k)-pairs for several positive and negative admissible values of kk, and we prove several nonexistence results for D(k)D(k)-triples and quadruples. Second, we introduce a modified notion of a star number D(k)D(k)-tuple, requiring aiaj+ka_ia_j+k itself to be a star number. We construct several infinite families of D(1)D(1)-triples, and study their extensions to quadruples. In particular, we prove that {4,108,165}\{4,108,165\} has the unique extension {4,108,165,360}\{4,108,165,360\} to a star number D(1)D(1)-quadruple. The main tools used in this paper are generalized Pell equations, Nagell's theorem, lower bounds for linear forms in logarithms due to Matveev and Dujella-Pethő version of the Baker-Davenport reduction method in diophantine approximation.

Introduction

The theory of the Diophantine tuple started with the observation of Diophantus, who noted that the product of any two distinct elements of the set {116,3316,174,10516}\left\{\frac{1}{16},\frac{33}{16},\frac{17}{4},\frac{105}{16}\right\} increased by 1 is a square of a rational number. Fermat later found the classical Diophantine quadruple {1,3,8,120}\{1,3,8,120\} and Euler subsequently showed that there exist infinitely many Diophantine quadruple. Later, several generalizations of this problem were observed, so we have the following definition

Definition 1.1. Let kk be a nonzero integer. A set of mm distinct positive integers is called a D(k)D(k) mm-tuple if the product of any two of its distinct elements increased by kk is a perfect square.

When m=2,3,4m = 2, 3, 4, such sets are referred to as Diophantine D(k)D(k)-pairs, triples and quadruples, respectively. One of the fundamental questions in this area concerns the possible size of such sets. Dujella [8] proved that if an integer k≢2(mod4)k \not\equiv2 \pmod{4} and k∉{−4,−3,−1,3,5,8,12,20}k \notin\{-4,-3,-1,3,5,8,12,20\}, then there exists at least one D(k)D(k)-quadruple. Further, he made the following conjecture:

Conjecture 1.2 (Dujella). If k∈{−4,−3,−1,3,5,8,12,20}k \in\{-4,-3,-1,3,5,8,12,20\}, then there does not exist a D(k)D(k)-quadruple.

He, Togbé and Ziegler [17] proved the folklore conjecture of non-existence of quintuple when k=1k = 1. On the other hand, Bonciocat, Cipu and Mignotte [1] proved the conjecture of non-existence quadruple when k=−1,−4k = -1,-4, whereas Trebjeșanin and Filipin [2] proved that there do not exist D(4)D(4)-quintuple. The Fibonacci sequence {Fn:n≥0}\{F_n : n \ge0\} (A000045) is

MSC2020: 11B37, 11D09, 11J86 defined by F0=0F_0 = 0, F1=1F_1 = 1, and Fn+2=Fn+1+FnF_{n+2} = F_{n+1} + F_n for n≥0n \ge0. The Pell sequence {Pn:n≥0}\{P_n : n \ge0\} (A000129) is defined by

Pn={0if n=0,1if n=1,2Pn−1+Pn−2if n≥2.P_n = \begin{cases} 0 & \text{if } n = 0,\\ 1 & \text{if } n = 1,\\ 2P_{n-1} + P_{n-2} & \text{if } n \ge2. \end{cases}

Diophantine triples and quadruples involving Fibonacci and Pell numbers have been studied in [15, 18, 22, 23]. In particular, the non-existence of Diophantine quadruples consisting of Fibonacci or Pell numbers was established in [15, 23]. A Triangular number is a number of the form Tn=n(n+1)2T_n = \frac{n(n+1)}{2}, where n≥1n \ge1 is an integer. One can see that A000217 enumerates triangular number. The study of Diophantine mm-tuples involving triangular numbers began in [6]. Subsequent work by Bliznac Trebješanin [3, 4] addressed the properties D(u2)D(u^2) and D(a)D(a), respectively. Further developments can be found in [5, 24, 16]. More than 600 papers have been published on this topic. The latest progress and all references can be found at Dujella’s webpage [9].

Motivated by these developments involving Fibonacci, Pell, triangular numbers, in this paper, we consider the Diophantine tuple problem in the setting of star numbers. The nn-th star number SnS_n is defined as Sn=6n(n−1)+1S_n = 6n(n - 1) + 1, where n≥1n \ge1 is an integer. It is easy to observe that Sn=1+12Tn−1S_n = 1 + 12T_{n-1}. One can see that A003154 enumerates star numbers.

The following proposition establishes the form of admissible integers k≠0k \ne0 for which {Sa,Sb}\{S_a, S_b\} forms a D(k)D(k)-pair.

Proposition 1.3. If {Sa,Sb}\{S_a, S_b\} is a D(k)D(k)-pair, then k≡0,3,8,11(mod12)k \equiv0, 3, 8, 11 \pmod{12}.

Proof. Since {Sa,Sb}\{S_a, S_b\} is a D(k)D(k)-pair, we have some integer mm such that SaSb+k=m2S_aS_b + k = m^2. Since m2≡0,1,4,9(mod12)m^2 \equiv0, 1, 4, 9 \pmod{12}, and Sa,Sb≡1(mod12)S_a, S_b \equiv1 \pmod{12}, we have k≡0,3,8,11(mod12)k \equiv0, 3, 8, 11 \pmod{12}.

In this paper, we mainly consider certain admissible values of kk that is k∈{−12,−9,−4,−1,3,8,11,12}k \in\{-12, -9, -4, -1, 3, 8, 11, 12\}. Let C±=Sa+Sb±2SaSb+kC_\pm= S_a + S_b \pm2\sqrt{S_aS_b + k} be an integer such that {Sa,Sb,C±}\{S_a, S_b, C_\pm\} is D(k)D(k)-triple, if such extension exists for the set {Sa,Sb}\{S_a, S_b\} such that Sc±=C±S_{c_\pm} = C_\pm, we call it star regular extension. But any star pair has no star regular extension because if such an extension exists, then

SaSb+k≡k+1(mod6),S_aS_b + k \equiv k + 1 \pmod{6},

which gives

SaSb+k(mod6)={1,5k=−12,122,4k=−9,3,3k=−4,8,0k=−1,11.\sqrt{S_aS_b + k} \pmod{6} = \begin{cases} 1, 5 & k = -12, 12\\ 2, 4 & k = -9, 3,\\ 3 & k = -4, 8,\\ 0 & k = -1, 11. \end{cases}

Therefore,

1=Sc±(mod6)={4,0k=−12,120,4k=−9,3,2k=−4,8,2k=−1,11,1 = S_{c_\pm} \pmod{6} = \begin{cases} 4, 0 & k = -12, 12\\ 0, 4 & k = -9, 3,\\ 2 & k = -4, 8,\\ 2 & k = -1, 11, \end{cases}

and

1=Sc−(mod6)={0,4k=−12,12,4,0k=−9,3,2k=−4,8,2k=−1,11,1 = S_{c-} \pmod{6} = \begin{cases} 0, 4 & k = -12, 12,\\ 4, 0 & k = -9, 3,\\ 2 & k = -4, 8,\\ 2 & k = -1, 11, \end{cases}

which is a contradiction.

Our first theorem in this direction establishes the existence and nonexistence of pairs {Sa,Sb}\{S_a, S_b\}.

Theorem 1.4. For k=3,8,12,−1,−4,−9,−12k = 3, 8, 12, -1, -4, -9, -12, there exist infinitely many D(k)D(k)-pairs containing star numbers, and there exists no D(11)D(11)-pair containing star numbers.

The next theorem produces necessary lower bounds for the index bb in terms of aa for D(k)D(k)-pairs.

Theorem 1.5. Let 2≤a<b2 \le a < b be two positive integers and suppose that {Sa,Sb}\{S_a, S_b\} is a D(k)D(k)-pair. Then

(1) b=a+1b = a + 1 or b≥4a+2b \ge4a + 2 for k=3,k = 3,

(2) b≥4a+2b \ge4a + 2 for k=8,−1,−9,−12,k = 8, -1, -9, -12,

(3) b=a+2b = a + 2 or b≥4a+2b \ge4a + 2 for k=12,k = 12,

(4) a=2,b=9a = 2, b = 9 or b≥4a+2b \ge4a + 2 for k=−4k = -4.

In the next theorem, we use the above theorem to get infinitely many D(k)D(k)-pairs of star numbers excluding S1S_1, where k=3,8,12,−1,−4,−9,−12k = 3, 8, 12, -1, -4, -9, -12.

Theorem 1.6. For k=3,8,12,−1,−4,−9,−12k = 3, 8, 12, -1, -4, -9, -12, there exist infinitely many D(k)D(k)-pairs of star numbers excluding S1S_1.

Our next result establishes the non-existence of Diophantine D(k)D(k)-triples containing star numbers for certain admissible integers k≠0k \ne0.

Theorem 1.7. If k≡12,20(mod24)k \equiv12, 20 \pmod{24} or k≡23,32(mod36)k \equiv23, 32 \pmod{36}, then {Sa,Sb,Sc}\{S_a, S_b, S_c\} cannot be a D(k)D(k)-triple.

As an immediate consequence, we have the following corollary.

Corollary 1.8. For k=−12,−4,12k = -12, -4, 12, there are no integers a,b,ca, b, c such that the set {Sa,Sb,Sc}\{S_a, S_b, S_c\} is a D(k)D(k)-triple.

Remark 1.9. For k=12k = 12, Corollary 1.8 supports Conjecture 1.2.

In view of the computation evidence, we strongly believe that the following conjecture is true:

Conjecture 1.10. For k=3,8,−9,−1k = 3, 8, -9, -1, there exists no D(k)D(k)-triple of the form {Sa,Sb,Sc}\{S_a, S_b, S_c\}.

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