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Of course, for every integer X 2, there is a unique square-free integer d 2 such that ≥ ≥ X2 1= dY 2 (1.3) − for some positive integer Y . In particular, if we start with an N given as in (1.2), then N is the X-coordinate of the solution to the Pell equation corresponding to the number d obtained as in (1.3). Thus the problem becomes interesting only when we ask that the Pell equation corresponding to some d (fixed or variable) has at least two positive integer solutions whose X-coordinates are base b-repdigits. Here, we apply the method from [6], together with an explicit estimate on the absolute value of the largest integer solution to an elliptic equation and prove the following result.
Theorem 1.1. Let b 2 be fixed. Let d 2 be squarefree and let (Xn,Yn) := (Xn(d),Yn(d)) be the nth positive integer≥ solution of the≥ Pell equation X2 dY 2 = 1. If the Diophantine equation − bm 1 X = a − with a 1, 2, . . . , b 1 (1.4) n b 1 ∈ { − } − has two positive integer solutions (n, a, m), then 5 d exp (10b)10 . (1.5) ≤ The proof proceeds in two cases according to whether n is even or odd. If n is even, we reduce the problem to the study of integer points on some elliptic curves of a particular form. Here, we use an upper bound on the naive height of the largest such point due to Baker. When n is odd, we use lower bounds for linear forms in complex and p-adic logarithms. For a number field K, a nonzero algebraic number η K and a prime ideal π of , we use ν (η) for the ∈ OK π exact exponent of π in the factorization in prime ideals of the principal fractional ideal η K generated by η in K. When K = Q is the field of rational numbers and π is some prime numberO p, then νp(η) coincides with the exponent of p in the factorization of the rational number η.
2. Case when some n is even
Assume that n satisfies (1.4). Put n = 2n1. Then using known formulas for the solutions to Pell equations, (1.4) implies that m 2 b 1 2X 1= X 1 = X = a − . (2.1) n1 − 2n n b 1 − Assume first that a = b 1. Then (2.1) gives − 2 m 2Xn1 = b . (2.2) We first deduce that b is even. If m = 1, then d dY 2 = X2 1 < 2X2 = b, ≤ n1 n1 − n1 so d < b, which is a much better inequality than the one we aim for in general. 2 m From now on, we assume that m> 1. Then Xn1 = b /2. Since m> 1, it follows that Xn1 is even. This shows that n is odd, for otherwise, if n = 2n is even, then X = X = 2X2 1 1 1 2 n1 2n2 n2 − is odd, a contradiction. Furthermore, the prime factors of Xn1 are exactly all the prime factors of b. Let us show that n is then unique. Indeed, assume that there exists n′ = 2n′ such that ′ 1 ′ ′ ′ 2 m ′ (n , b 1,m ) is a solution of (1.4) and n = n. Then also X ′ = b /2, so Xn1 and Xn − 6 n1 1 ′ ′ ′ have the same set of prime factors. Since Xn1 = Y2n1 /(2Yn1 ) and Xn1 = Y2n1 /(2Yn1 ), the ′ conclusion that X and X ′ have the same set of prime factors is false if max n ,n 7 n1 n1 { 1 1} ≥ 2 VOLUME, NUMBER ON X-COORDINATES OF PELL EQUATIONS WHICH ARE REPDIGITS by Carmichael’s Theorem on Primitive Divisors for the sequence Y ≥ (namely that Y { s}s 1 k has a prime factor not dividing any Ys for any s < k provided that k 13, see [3]). Thus, ′ ≥ n1, n1 1, 3, 5 and one checks by hand that no two of X1, X3, X5 can have the same set of prime∈ factors. { } Thus, n is unique and noting that m is odd (for example, because the exponent of 2 in the (m−1)/2 left–hand side of (2.2) is odd), we get that 2 divides Xn1 . It is known from the theory (m−1)/2 of Pell equations that ν2(Xn1 ) = ν2(X1). Hence, X1 is a multiple of 2 . Further, since we are assuming that equation (1.4) has two solutions (n, a, m), it follows that there exists another solution either with n even and a = b 1, or with n odd. We now move on to analyze the case6 in which− there exists a solution with n even and a = b 1. 6 − Put m = 3m0 + r with r 0, 1, 2 . Here, m0 is a non-negative integer. Putting x := Xn1 and y := bm0 , equation (2.1)∈ becomes { } bry3 1 2x2 1= a − . (2.3) − b 1 − Equation (2.3) leads to 2 3 X = Y + A0, (2.4) where X := 4a(b 1)2brx, Y := 2a(b 1)bry, A := 8a2(b 1)3b2r((b 1) a). − − 0 − − − 6 10 2 2 If r = 0, then A0 < 2b 0.25b (here, we used the fact that a(b 1 a) ((b 1)/2) < b /4, a consequence of the AGM≤ inequality). If r 1, 2 , then since− one− of ≤b or b− 1 is even we get that ∈ { } − ′2 ′3 ′ X = Y + A0, (2.5) ′ ′ ′ 3 2 6 ′ 6 10 holds with integers (X ,Y , A0) = (X/2 , Y/2 , A0/2 ) and A0 = A0/2 < 0.25b . Note that A A′ = 0. Let us now recall the following result of Baker (see [1]). 0 0 6 Theorem 2.1. Let A = 0. Then all integer solutions (X,Y ) of (2.4) satisfy 0 6 4 max X , Y < exp (1010 A )10 . {| | | |} { | 0| } We will apply the above theorem to equation (2.4) for r = 0 and to equation (2.5) for 10 ′ 10 r 1, 2 . Note that since A0 < 0.25 b when r = 0 and A0 < 0.25b when r 1, 2 , we∈ get { that} | | · | | ∈ { } 10 104 10 10 104 105 (10 A0 ) (0.25 10 b ) < 0.25(10b) , | | ≤ · ′ and a similar inequality holds for A0 replaced by A0. Theorem 2.1 applied to equations (2.4), (2.5) tells us that in both cases 5 X/23 < exp(0.25(10b)10 ). Since X X > √d, we get that ≥ n1 5 5 d< 26 exp(0.5(10b)10 ) < exp((10b)10 ), which is what we wanted. So, let us conclude this section by summarizing what we have proved. Lemma 2.2. Assume that there is a solution (n, a, m) to equation (1.4) with n even. Then one of the following holds:
MONTH YEAR 3 THE FIBONACCI QUARTERLY
(i) a < b 1 and − 5 d< exp((10b)10 ). (ii) a = b 1, m = 1, and d < b. − (iii) a = b 1, m> 1. Then b is even, m is odd and n = 2n1 is unique with this property, − m (m−1)/2 Xn1 = b /2 and 2 divides X1.
3. On the greatest divisor of repdigits From now on, we look at the case when equation (1.4) has solutions (n, a, m) with n odd. Say, bm 1 X = a − . n b 1 − If some other solution (n′, a′,m′) to equation (1.4) does not have n′ odd, then n′ must be even so Lemma 2.2 applies to it. If we are in one of the instances (i) or (ii) of Lemma 2.2, then we are done. So, let us assume that we are in instance (iii) of Lemma 2.2, so n′ is even, m ′ is odd and 2(m −1)/2 divides X . But since n is odd, X also divides X . Since b is even, ′1 1′ n ′ (bm 1)/(b 1) is odd, so 2(m −1)/2 divides a. Hence, 2m −1 2a2 b3. Since m′ 2m −1, we get− that −m′ b3. Writing n′ = 2n′ , and using again (iii) of≤ Lemma≤ 2.2, we get that≤ ≤ 1 2 2 m′ m′ b3 4 d < X X ′ = b /2 < b < b < exp(b ), 1 ≤ n1 which is good enough for us. From now on, we assume that both solutions of equation (1.4) have an odd value for n. Let such indices be n = n . Then 1 6 2 bm1 1 bm2 1 X 1 = a − , X 2 = a − , where a , a 1, 2, . . . , b 1 . n 1 b 1 n 2 b 1 1 2 ∈ { − } − − Let n3 := gcd(n1,n2). Since n1 and n2 are odd, from known properties of solutions to the Pell equation, we get that
Xn3 = gcd(Xn1 , Xn2 ). ′ ′ We put a3 := gcd(a1, a2), a1 := a1/a3, a2 := a2/a3. We also put m3 := gcd(m1,m2) and use the fact that gcd(bm1 1, bm2 1) = bm3 1. − − − We then get,
Xn3 = gcd(Xn1 , Xn2 ) bm1 1 bm2 1 = gcd a − , a − 1 b 1 2 b 1 − − bm3 1 bm1 1 bm2 1 = a − gcd a′ − , a′ − 3 b 1 1 bm3 1 2 bm3 1 − − − bm3 1 := a c − . (3.1) 3 b 1 − ′ ′ The quantities inside the greatest common divisor denoted by c have the properties that a1, a2 are coprime, (bm1 1)/(bm3 1) and (bm2 1)/(bm3 1) are also coprime. Thus, − − − − bm2 1 bm1 1 c = gcd a′ , − gcd − , a′ , 1 bm3 1 bm3 1 2 − − 4 VOLUME, NUMBER ON X-COORDINATES OF PELL EQUATIONS WHICH ARE REPDIGITS which implies that c a′ a′ = (a a )/a2. Hence, a c (a a )/a (b 1)2. Replacing a c ≤ 1 2 1 2 3 3 ≤ 1 2 3 ≤ − 3 by a3, we retain the conclusion that m3 b 1 2 X 3 = a − , where a 1, 2, 3,..., (b 1) . n 3 b 1 3 ∈ { − } − Since n1 = n2, we may assume that n1
4. Bounding ℓ in terms of n We may assume that m 100 otherwise ≥ √d < X < bm+1 b101, 1 ≤ so d < b202, which is better than the inequality (1.5). We put
2 √ α := X1 + X1 1= X1 + dY1. q − On one hand, from the first relation of (3.2), we have that 1 bm 1 X = α + α−1 = a − , 1 2 b 1 − so 1 bm 1 α = X + √dY > X = α + α−1 = a − > bm−1. (4.1) 1 1 1 2 b 1 − Hence, α > bm−1 implying log α m 1 < . − log b One the other hand, X + √dY α 1 bm 1 1 1 = < (α + α−1)= a − a(bm 1) < abm < bm+2. (4.2) 2 2 2 b 1 ≤ − − Hence, α< 2bm+2 bm+3 implying ≤ log α MONTH YEAR 5 THE FIBONACCI QUARTERLY We now exploit the second relation of (3.2). On one hand, we get that bmℓ 1 αn > X = c − > bmℓ−1, (4.4) n b 1 − therefore log α mℓ 1