Effective Methods for Diophantine Equations
Effective Methods for Diophantine Equations
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丢番图方程的有效方法
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发表时间:
2005
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通讯作者:
Szabolcs Tengely
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作者:
Szabolcs Tengely
Proefschrift ter verkrijging van de graad van Doctor aan de Universiteit Leiden, op gezag van de Rector Magnificus Dr. Contents 1 Introduction 1 2 Runge-type Diophantine Equations 11 2. Bibliography 65 Samenvatting 73 Curriculum Vitae 74 vii This thesis contains material from the following papers. Introduction In the thesis we shall solve Diophantine equations effectively by various methods, more precisely by Runge's method, Baker's method and Chabauty's method. To put our results in the proper context we summarize some of the relevant history. A Diophantine equation is an equation of the form f (x 1 , x 2 ,. .. , x n) = 0, where f is a given function and the unknowns x 1 , x 2 ,. .. , x n are required to be rational numbers or to be integers. As a generalisation of the concept one may consider rational or integral solutions over a number field. In the study of Diophantine equations there are some natural questions: • Is the equation solvable? • Is the number of solutions finite or infinite? • Is it possible to determine all solutions? Diophantus was a mathematician who lived in Alexandria around 300 A.D. Six Greek books out of thirteen of Diophantus' Arithmetica have been known for a long time. The most famous Latin translation is due to Bachet in 1621. In 1968 an Arabic manuscript was found in Iran, which is a translation from a Greek text written in Alexandria, but probable it was written by some of Diophantus' commentators. In his works he stated mathematical problems and provided rational solutions. To give an idea of the kind of problems we mention here two of them. The first problem is (problem 20 of book 4) to find four numbers such that the product of any two of them increased by 1 is a perfect square. A set with this property is called a (rational) Diophantine quadruple. The set with this property which Diophantus constructed The second problem is problem 17 of book 6 of the Arabic manuscript of Arithmetica which comes down to find positive rational solutions to y 2 = x 6 + x 2 + 1. Diophantus constructed the solution x = 1 2 , y = 9 8. Fermat's Last Theorem concerns the Diophantine equation x n + y n = z n. Fermat (1601-1665) wrote in the margin of an edition of Diophantus' book …