= Solution
The <abc conjecture> says that for every $\epsilon>0$ there is $C_\epsilon$ such that <coprime> positive <integers> $A+B=C$ satisfy $C\le C_\epsilon\operatorname{rad}(ABC)^{1+\epsilon}$, where the radical is the product of distinct prime <divisors>.
The Catalan alternative yields finiteness of actual nontrivial solutions, with $x,y\ge2$ and $p,q\ge3$. Put $M=x^p$, so $y^q=M-1$ and $x,y$ are <coprime>. The triple $(y^q,1,x^p)$ has radical at most $xy<M^{2/3}$. Take $\epsilon=1/6$ to obtain
$$
M\le C_{1/6}M^{7/9},\qquad\boxed{M\le C_{1/6}^{9/2}}.
$$
Both bases are bounded, and $2^p\le M$, $2^q\le M-1$ also bound both exponents. Thus \b[only finitely many nontrivial Catalan solutions exist under abc], the <Catalan power bound from abc>.
For the Fermat alternative, the usual <arithmetic height> statement concerns primitive solutions, or equivalently solutions modulo common scaling. A primitive positive triple is pairwise <coprime>, and $x,y<z$. Applying abc to $(x^n,y^n,z^n)$ gives
$$
z^n\le C_{1/6}(xyz)^{7/6}<C_{1/6}z^{7/2},\qquad\boxed{z\le C_{1/6}^2\quad(n\ge4)}.
$$
This is uniform even in $n$. If $h=\max(x,y)<z$, then $z^n=x^n+y^n\le2h^n$, so $n\le\log2/\log(z/h)$ is bounded after $z$ is bounded. There are therefore finitely many primitive triples and exponents, the <primitive Fermat bound from abc>. Without the primitive convention, any one nonzero homogeneous solution would produce infinitely many common multiples. The Catalan proof above supplies the requested literal finiteness alternative without that normalization issue.
Back to article page