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I am trying to find all positive integer solution $(x,y,z)$ of equation $x^4+5y^4=z^4$.

Here I fould: $(x,y,z)=(1,2,3)$ and $(d,2d,3d)$. I try to prove if $(x,y)=1$ then $(1,2,3)$ is the unique solution of equation. Could anyone help me for this question?

Jie Fan
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    This may be of some help: subtract $y^4$ from both sides and it factorises as $(x^2+2xy+2y^2)(x^2-2xy+2y^2)=(z^2+y^2)(z^2-y^2)$. – Adam Bailey Nov 24 '16 at 10:57
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    This question http://math.stackexchange.com/questions/2092108/x4ry4-z4-find-primitive-diophantine-solutions-with-prime-r may be of interest. – Old Peter Jan 10 '17 at 16:56
  • Jie fan please see the answer to your question – sirous Nov 26 '17 at 04:22

1 Answers1

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I experimentally searched the possibility of more principal solutions for this equation.

$x^4 +5y^4=z^4$

$z^4≡ x^4\mod y^4$⇒ $x^4<y^4$ or $x<y$

$z^4≡ x^4\mod 5$ ⇒ $x^4 < 5$; the only possible number for x is $1$, that is $x=1$⇒ $(y=2)$ and $z=3$ are the principal solutions.

Also we may write:

$(z^2+x^2)(z+x)(z-x)=5y^4$

Following cases can be considered:

a: $z-x =2$, that is z and x are two consecutive odd or even numbers. One solution is already found i.e. $(z=3)$ and $(x =1)$ and $y=2$. I checked by Python up to $z=10^6$ and got no more solutions.

b: $z-x=1$, that is x and z are two consecutive numbers. This can not be acceptable because $z>y>x$ i.e. the next consecutive number to x can only be y.

c: $z-x=5$, and $(z^2+x^2)(z+x)=y^4$; I checked this up to $z=10^6$ and I got no result.

c:$x+z=5$ that means:we have :$(x=1, z=4), (x=2, z=3), (x=3, z=2) and finally(x=4, z=1)$ which non of them give integer solution for y.

d:$z^2+x^2=5$ , the possible values are $(x=1)$ and$( z=2)$ which do not give an integer solution for y.

e: $z^2-x^2=5$ or $z^2+x^2=y^4$

I checked it up to $ z=10^6$ and could not found any integer solution for y.

Conclusion: equation $x^4 +5y^4=z^4$ is one case of general equation of form $x^4 +Dy^4=z^4$ in which $D=5$ . Lagrange showed that this type of equation depending on certain values of D can have integer solutions in limited numbers.The equation $x^4 +5y^4=z^4$ is one of these equations that have only one set of principal solutions $(x=1, y=2, z=3)$.

sirous
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