Are there any perfect cubes form of $611\dots1$

discrete mathematicselementary-number-theorynumber theory

Can $6111\cdots111$ be a perfect cube?

I think it can be since a perfect cube can end in $2$ or more odd digits (like $456533$) and $611\cdots111$ is $7 \pmod 8$, which is one of the cubic residues of $8$. Also, $611\dots1$ is sometimes $0,1,8\pmod{9}$.

Can $611\cdots111$ be a perfect cube? If not, what is the proof?

Best Answer

There are no solutions. As noted by others, the amounts to solving the equation $$ 55 \cdot 10^n-9y^3=1. $$ Writing $n=3n_0+k$, for $k \in \{ 0, 1, 2 \}$, this leads, crudely, to $3$ Thue equations of the shape $$ Ax^3-9y^3=1, \; \; A \in \{ 55, 550, 44 \}. $$ In each case, we can use, for example, Pari GP or Magma to solve the equation and show that there are no solutions (for cubic equations of this shape, it's somewhat easier than usual due to old work of Nagell which shows that any possible solutions correspond in a very precise sense to fundamental units in the associated cubic fields).

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