On generalised Pythagorean triples over number fields

Abstract

Generalised Pythagorean triples are integer tuples $(x,y,z)$ satisfying the equation $E_{a,b,c}: ax^2+by^2+cz^2=0$. A significant amount of research has been devoted towards understanding generalised Pythagorean triples and, in particular, we can now determine whether $E_{a,b,c}$ has solutions and find them in a computationally effective manner. In this paper, we consider an extension of generalised Pythagorean triples to number fields $K$. In particular, we survey and extend the existing results over $\mathbb{Q}$ for determining if $E_{a,b,c}$ has solutions over number fields and if so, to find and parameterise them, as well as to find a minimal solution. Throughout the text, we incorporate numerous examples to make our results accessible to all researchers interested in the topic of generalised Pythagorean triples.