English

Polynomial parametrizations of length $4$ B\"uchi sequences

Number Theory 2010-08-19 v1

Abstract

B\"uchi's problem asks whether there exists a positive integer MM such that any sequence (xn)(x_n) of at least MM integers, whose second difference of squares is the constant sequence (2)(2), satisifies xn2=(x+n)2x_n^2=(x+n)^2 for some xZx\in\Z. A positive answer to B\"uchi's problem would imply that there is no algorithm to decide whether or not an arbitrary system of quadratic diagonal forms over Z\Z can represent an arbitrary given vector of integers. We give explicitly an infinite family of polynomial parametrizations of non-trivial length 44 B\"uchi sequences of integers. In turn, these parametrizations give an explicit infinite family of curves (which we suspect to be hyperelliptic) with the following property: any integral point on one of these curves would give a length 55 non-trivial B\"uchi sequence of integers (it is not known whether any such sequence exists).

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1008.2994,
  title  = {Polynomial parametrizations of length $4$ B\"uchi sequences},
  author = {Xavier Vidaux},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1008.2994},
  year   = {2010}
}

Comments

17 pages, 1 figure

R2 v1 2026-06-21T16:02:09.511Z