On special extrema of polynomials with applications to Diophantine problems

Abstract

We prove that apart from explicitly given cases, described in terms of Dickson polynomials, a polynomial fin mathbb {Q}[x] can have at most one shift f(x)-lambda (lambda in mathbb {C}) of the form u(g(x))^q(h(x))^k with uin mathbb {C}, g,hin mathbb {C}[x] and either deg (g)=2, k is even, q=k/2 or deg (g)le 1, kge 2, qge 1. This is shown by handling the case of two possible shifts, which was an open issue. As an application, we give a precise statement yielding a description of polynomials f having infinitely many shifted power (S-integral) values, and a complete description of superelliptic equations having infinitely many S-integral solutions when the polynomial involved is composite. In the case where there are finitely many solutions, our results yield effective bounds for them. Finally, as further applications, we give effective results for polynomial values in the solutions of Pell equations and in non-degenerate binary recurrence sequences.