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Generalized Pell solutions fall into finitely many Pell orbits
Statement
Let be a positive nonsquare integer, let , and let be the fundamental Pell solution. Every integral solution is Pell-equivalent to a solution satisfying Consequently the generalized Pell equation has only finitely many Pell-equivalence classes.
Facts & Assumptions
Given: A nonzero integer , the fundamental Pell solution , and a solution of .
Two norm- solutions are Pell-equivalent exactly when one is obtained from the other by multiplication by a power of (Pell-equivalence for generalized solutions).
The Pell norm is multiplicative (The Pell norm is multiplicative).
The fundamental solution satisfies (The fundamental Pell solution).
Proof
Put Because , the half-open intervals partition : their endpoints are strictly ordered, they tend to as , and they tend to as . Hence there is a unique integer with Put By [F1] and [F2], is Pell-equivalent to and still satisfies
Let Step 1.1 gives Since one has and also . Therefore and similarly This is exactly the stated bound.
The bounds of step 2.1 leave only finitely many integer pairs . Every solution is Pell-equivalent to one of them by step 1.1, so only finitely many Pell-equivalence classes occur.
Depends on
Used by
Dependency tree · two levels
8 results within two dependency steps of this one, each drawn at its shortest distance from it. An arrow runs from a result to what uses it, so the chart reads left to right and ends at this result, which carries a heavier outline. Every node is a link to that result. Click elsewhere on the chart to enlarge it.
Sources
- Keith Conrad, Pell's Equation, II (standard reference, not scraped)
- Peter Hackman, Elementary Number Theory (standard reference, not scraped)