The four-squares conjecture for unrestricted unit-power sequences

From papers

Let aa, bb and dd be positive integers such that dd is not a square. Set

α=a+b2d,Nα=a2b4d,\alpha=a+b^{2}\sqrt{d},\qquad N_{\alpha}=a^{2}-b^{4}d,

and let ε=(t+ud)/2\varepsilon=(t+u\sqrt{d})/2 be a unit in OQ(d)\mathcal{O}_{\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt{d})} with t,ut,u positive integers. Define sequences (xk)kZ(x_k')_{k\in\mathbb{Z}} and (yk)kZ(y_k')_{k\in\mathbb{Z}} by

xk+ykd=αεk.x_k'+y_k'\sqrt{d}=\alpha\varepsilon^k.

The unrestricted four-squares conjecture. There are at most four distinct integer squares among the yky_k'. If Nα|N_{\alpha}| is a prime power or a perfect square, then there are at most three distinct integer squares among the yky_k'. The conjecture extends the even-power sequence problem to all powers of the unit; the special norm conditions predict a stronger bound, but no resolution is supplied in the source.

Progress summary

Nothing recorded yet. Refresh searches the literature and the public web for attempts on this problem, and writes the first summary here.

Sources & referencesView supporting material

Primary source

Paul M Voutier, “Bounds on the number of squares in recurrence sequences: arbitrary b, III”, arXiv:2504.07040 (2025).

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