Diophantine quintuple

In mathematics, a diophantine m-tuple is a set of m positive integers such that is a perfect square for any .[1] A set of m positive rational numbers with the similar property that the product of any two is one less than a rational square is known as a rational diophantine m-tuple.

Diophantine m-tuples

The first diophantine quadruple was found by Fermat: .[1] It was proved in 1969 by Baker and Davenport [1] that a fifth positive integer cannot be added to this set. However, Euler was able to extend this set by adding the rational number .[1]

The question of existence of (integer) diophantine quintuples was one of the oldest outstanding unsolved problems in Number Theory. In 2004 Andrej Dujella showed that at most a finite number of diophantine quintuples exist.[1] In 2016 the problem was finally resolved by He, Togbé and Ziegler.[2]

The Rational Case

Diophantus himself found the rational diophantine quadruple .[1] More recently, Philip Gibbs found sets of six positive rationals with the property.[3] It is not known whether any larger rational diophantine m-tuples exist or even if there is an upper bound, but it is known that no infinite set of rationals with the property exists.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Dujella, Andrej (January 2006). "There are only finitely many Diophantine quintuples". Journal für die reine und angewandte Mathematik. 2004 (566): 183–214. doi:10.1515/crll.2004.003.
  2. ↑ He, B.; Togbé, A.; Ziegler, V. "There is no Diophantine Quintuple". arXiv:1610.04020Freely accessible.
  3. ↑ Gibbs, Philip (1999). "A Generalised Stern-Brocot Tree from Regular Diophantine Quadruples". arXiv:math.NT/9903035v1Freely accessible.
  4. ↑ Herrmann, E.; Pethoe, A.; Zimmer, H. G. (1999). "On Fermat's quadruple equations". Math. Sem. Univ. Hamburg. 69: 283–291.

External links

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