OFFSET
0,2
COMMENTS
To prove that an integer n is in A051209, it is sufficient to find integers x,y such that y^2 - 7^x = n. In that case, a(n)=0. To prove that n is *not* in A051209, it is sufficient to find a modulus m for which the (finite) set of all possible values of 7^x and y^2 allows us to deduce that y^2-7^x can never equal n. The present sequence lists the smallest such m>0, if it exists.
LINKS
M. F. Hasler, Table of n, a(n) for n = 0..1000
EXAMPLE
See A200512 for motivation and detailed examples.
PROG
(PARI) A200517(n, b=7, p=3)={ my( x=0, qr, bx, seen ); for( m=3, 9e9, while( x^p < m, issquare(b^x+n) & return(0); x++); qr=vecsort(vector(m, y, y^2-n)%m, , 8); seen=0; bx=1; until( bittest(seen+=1<<bx, bx=bx*b%m), for(i=1, #qr, qr[i]<bx & next; qr[i]>bx & break; next(3))); return(m))}
CROSSREFS
KEYWORD
nonn
AUTHOR
M. F. Hasler, Nov 18 2011
STATUS
approved