On the Quality of the $ABC$-Solutions

Abstract: The quality of the triplet $(a,b,c)$, where $\gcd(a,b,c) = 1$, satisfying $a + b = c$ is defined as $$ q(a,b,c) = \frac{\max\{\log |a|, \log |b|, \log |c|\}}{\log \mathrm{rad}(|abc|)}, $$ where $\mathrm{rad}(|abc|)$ is the product of distinct prime factors of $|abc|$. We call such a triplet an $ABC$-solution. The $ABC$-conjecture states that given $\epsilon > 0$ the number of the $ABC$-solutions $(a,b,c)$ with $q(a,b,c) \geq 1 + \epsilon$ is finite.

In the first part of this talk, under the $ABC$-conjecture, we explore the quality of certain families of the $ABC$-solutions formed by terms in Lucas and associated Lucas sequences. We also introduce, unconditionally, a new family of $ABC$-solutions that has quality $> 1$.

In the remaining of the talk, we prove a conjecture of Erd\"os on the solutions of the Brocard-Ramanujan equation $$ n! + 1 = m^2 $$ by assuming an explicit version of the $ABC$-conjecture proposed by Baker.

combinatoricsnumber theory

Audience: researchers in the topic

Lethbridge number theory and combinatorics seminar