Mateo Matijasevick

Perfect squares in reciprocal-sum sequences and primes that are inert in quadratic fields

Let $k$ be a positive integer, and consider the sequences of positive rationals with $x_0\in\N$ and $x_{n+1}=k/(x_0+x_1+\dots+x_n)$. Write $x_n=a_n/b_n$ in lowest terms. We show that there is a rational constant $c>0$ such that $c\,a_n+b_n$ is a perfect power for every such sequence and every $n\ge2$ if and only if $k=...