sci.math #8200 (23 + 0 ore)
From: hoey@aic.nrl.navy.mil (Dan Hoey)
Subject: Re: The sum of the first n squares can not be a perfect square.
Date: Thu Oct 20 11:55:07 CDT 1994

rgep@emu.pmms.cam.ac.uk (Richard Pinch) writes:
> MAUCERI@CSPVX1.CSP.IT (Mauceri) writes:
> >"The sum of first n squares can not be an perfect square,
> >except that for n=24."

> Richard Guy, "Unsolved problems in number theory", Springer, 1981,
> refers to this problem in section D3....  Guy says that Mordell
> asked whether there was an elementary solution.

_Unsolved Problems in Number Theory, Second Edition_ has just hit the
shelves.  ``Mordell asked if there was an elementary proof, and
affirmative answers have been given by Ma, by Xu & Cao, by Anglin, and
by Pinter.''

Ma De-Gang, An elementary proof of the solution to the Diophantine
equation 6y^2=x(x+1)(2x+1), _Sichuan Daxue Xuebao_, 4(1985) 107-116;
MR 87e:11039.

Z. Y. Xu & Cau Zhen-Fu, On a problem of Mordell, _Kexue Tongbao_,
30(1985) 558-559.

W. S. Anglin, The square pyramid puzzle, _Amer. Math. Monthly_,
97(1990) 120-124; MR 91e:11026.

Akos Pinter, A new solution of two old diophantine equations,
Technical Report No. 92(1993), Department of Mathematics, Kossuth
University, Debrecen, Hungary.

Dan Hoey
Hoey@AIC.NRL.Navy.Mil