Pell's equation is a famous Diophantine equation of the form
where is a non-square positive integer, and and are integers. The solutions to Pell's equation can be found using methods involving continued fractions or by exploiting properties of quadratic forms. The fundamental solution, often denoted as , generates an infinite number of solutions through the formulae:
for . These solutions can be expressed in terms of powers of the fundamental solution in the context of the unit in the ring of integers of the quadratic field . Thus, Pell's equation not only showcases beautiful mathematical properties but also has applications in number theory, cryptography, and more.
Start your personalized study experience with acemate today. Sign up for free and find summaries and mock exams for your university.