The Baker–Bilu obstruction conjecture for integral points on curves

Let XX be a nice curve, meaning a smooth, projective, geometrically integral curve, of genus at least 22 over Q\overline{\mathbb{Q}}. For a point xX(Q)x\in X(\overline{\mathbb{Q}}), write X{x}X-\{x\} for the resulting affine curve. Baker–Bilu obstruction conjecture. For every such XX, there exists xX(Q)x\in X(\overline{\mathbb{Q}}) such that X{x}X-\{x\} has no connected finite étale cover admitting even a single nonconstant morphism to Gm\mathbb{G}_m. This is a stronger proposed negative answer to the question of whether every smooth integral affine curve of genus at least 22 over Q\overline{\mathbb{Q}} admits a connected finite étale cover with a nondegenerate morphism to Gm×Gm\mathbb{G}_m\times\mathbb{G}_m. If true, it would obstruct applying the Baker–Bilu method to determining integral points on curves.

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Primary source

Aaron Landesman and Bjorn Poonen, “Obstructions to applying the Baker–Bilu method for determining integral points on curves”, arXiv:2306.11799 (2023).

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