English

Perfect powers in elliptic divisibility sequences

Number Theory 2023-12-15 v1

Abstract

Let EE be an elliptic curve over the rationals given by an integral Weierstrass model and let PP be a rational point of infinite order. The multiple nPnP has the form (An/Bn2,Cn/Bn3)(A_n/B_n^2,C_n/B_n^3) where AnA_n, BnB_n, CnC_n are integers with AnCnA_n C_n and BnB_n coprime, and BnB_n positive. The sequence (Bn)(B_n) is called the elliptic divisibility sequence generated by PP. This paper is concerned with a question posed in 2007 by Everest, Reynolds and Stevens: does the sequence (Bn)(B_n) contain only finitely many perfect powers? We answer this question positively under three additional assumptions: PP is non-integral, the discriminant of EE is positive, and PP belongs to the connected real component of the identity on EE. Our method attaches to the problem a Frey curve that is defined over a totally real field of degree at most 2424, and then makes use of modularity and level lowering arguments. We can deduce the same theorem without assuming that the discriminant of EE is positive, or assuming that PP belongs to the connected real component of the identity, provided we assume some standard conjectures from the Langlands programme.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2312.08997,
  title  = {Perfect powers in elliptic divisibility sequences},
  author = {Maryam Nowroozi and Samir Siksek},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2312.08997},
  year   = {2023}
}
R2 v1 2026-06-28T13:51:02.673Z