The Fermat conjecture inside projective varieties

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Let V⊆PmV\subseteq\mathbb P^m be a nonempty closed subscheme over Q\mathbb Q. Say that Fermat holds inside VV if, for every a∈Zm+1a\in\mathbb Z^{m+1} with ai≠0a_i\neq 0, there is n0∈Nn_0\in\mathbb N such that the rational points of

Xn⊆V:a0x0n+⋯+amxmn=0X_n\subseteq V: a_0x_0^n+\dotsb+a_mx_m^n=0

are trivial for all n≥n0n\geq n_0. Define Z⊆PmZ\subseteq\mathbb P^m by

Z=⋂j⋃i≠jV+(xi2xj−xj3).Z=\bigcap_j\bigcup_{i\neq j}V_+(x_i^2x_j-x_j^3).

Fermat conjecture. Fermat holds inside VV if and only if (V∩Z)(Q)(V\cap Z)(\mathbb Q) is trivial. This gives a proposed characterization of the projective varieties for which the generalized Fermat problem is solvable; the conjecture is presented as open in the paper.

References

Primary source

Shijie Fan and Rafael von Kanel, “Rational points and rational moduli spaces”, arXiv:2501.17155 (2025).

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