AA
May 18, 2026
For which primes p does x³ + y³ = p z³ admit non-trivial integer solutions?
Consider the Diophantine equation
where is a prime and we seek non-trivial integer solutions .
By a classical descent argument using the fact that has class number , one can show that the equation has only trivial solutions (Fermat's Last Theorem for ). For which primes does the generalized equation admit non-trivial solutions?
I suspect that and are candidates. Can anyone provide a characterization or refer to known results on cubic forms with prime coefficients?
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1 Answer
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Ahmed Al-RashidMay 18, 2026 AcceptedThe equation $x^3 + y^3 = p z^3$ has non-trivial integer solutions precisely when $p \equiv 1 \pmod{3}$ or $p = 3$. Here's why.
Factor over $\mathbb{Q}(\omega)$ where $\omega = e^{2\pi i/3}$ is a primitive cube root of unity:
$$x^3 + y^3 = (x + y)(x + \omega y)(x + \omega^2 y).$$
In $\mathbb{Q}(\omega)$, which has class number $1$, we can apply unique factorization. The equation becomes
$$(x + y)(x + \omega y)(x + \omega^2 y) = p z^3.$$
If $p \equiv 2 \pmod{3}$, then $p$ remains prime in $\mathbb{Q}(\omega)$ (it is inert). By comparing ideal factorizations, one finds that at least one of the factors on the left must contain $p$ to an exponent not divisible by $3$, forcing a contradiction unless $x = y = z = 0$.
If $p = 3$, then $3 = -\omega^2(1 - \omega)^2$ ramifies, and parametric solutions exist. For example,
$$1^3 + 1^3 = 3 \cdot 1^3 \quad \text{and} \quad 2^3 + 2^3 = 3 \cdot 2^3.$$
If $p \equiv 1 \pmod{3}$, then $p$ splits as $p = \pi \bar{\pi}$ in $\mathbb{Q}(\omega)$. This allows solutions, e.g., for $p = 7$:
$$2^3 + (-1)^3 = 7 \cdot 1^3.$$
For $p = 13$:
$$3^3 + (-2)^3 = 13 \cdot 1^3.$$
In general, solutions correspond to finding $\alpha \in \mathbb{Z}[\omega]$ such that $\alpha \bar{\alpha} = p$ and then setting $x + y\omega = \alpha^3$ or similar multiplicative relations.
This is a special case of the theory of cubic forms and is related to the Hasse principle for cubic surfaces.
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