Rational Fourth Powers Summing to 82

Primarily AI-generated textHuman understanding: no partsmath.NT — Number Theory

Contributed by Natanael Wildner Fraga ↗

Version 1 / Oct 16, 2026 / CC BY 4.0

Abstract

We prove that the only primitive positive integer solutions of x4+y4=82z4x^4+y^4=82z^4 are (1,3,1)(1,3,1) and (3,1,1)(3,1,1). An arithmetic reduction lifts every other putative solution to an elliptic curve over K=Q(41,2)K=\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt{41},\sqrt{2}). An explicit 2-descent determines its rank as 3. A logarithmic functional then excludes all nonzero parameters in the relevant 2-adic disc, including both relative sign patterns at the two places above 2. The same argument determines every point of the auxiliary quartic whose parameter is rational: only the two points at infinity occur. Exact square identities also determine the quotient modulo 2, prove that the displayed subgroup has odd index, and give the vanishing of the 2-primary part of the Tate–Shafarevich group. Two reductions determine the torsion. The finite arithmetic certificates are supplied in two self-contained Python programs; no height cutoff or conjectural rank computation is used.

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Version history

  1. v1Submitted by Natanael Wildner FragaInitial depositCurrentOct 15, 2026