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Research notes on every problem, and a library of the papers behind them. Built from the open erdos repository.

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Claim. Let SS be the set of primes p≡5(mod8)p\equiv5\pmod 8. Theorem 1.2 of W. Ma, An elementary note on three consecutive powerful numbers, arXiv:2608.23418 (2026-08-24): there are no three consecutive powerful numbers xn−1=q13y2x^n-1=q_1^3y^2, xnx^n, xn+1=q23z2x^n+1=q_2^3z^2 with q1,q2q_1,q_2 prime, x,y,zx,y,z integers and n≥5n\geq5 an integer all of whose prime factors lie in SS. Corollary 1.3 deduces that, for such nn, the equation (2ax)2n−1=q13q23y2(2ax)^{2n}-1=q_1^3q_2^3y^2 has no solution in integers a,x,ya,x,y and primes q1,q2q_1,q_2. The paper extends Chan's theorem, whose middle member is a cube, to middle members that are such nnth powers, using results of Nagell and Ljunggren, Lebesgue and Ko.

Covers. Triples whose middle member is an nnth power for an exponent nn as above and whose outer members are both a prime cubed times a square, a partial no to the question of Problem 364.

Standing. The claim is pending: an arXiv preprint, not refereed, and the site neither lists it on its proof-claims tab nor credits it, so there is no acceptance evidence.