"""Reference Sage/Python implementation for the four-cubes Pell search. Run with: sage -python scripts/four_cubes_reference.py or pass targets explicitly: sage -python scripts/four_cubes_reference.py 254 314159265358979323 """ import sys from sage.all import ZZ, BinaryQF, Mod, factor, is_square def local_admissible(n, d, M): """Return whether the local square tests from Lemma 3.3 pass.""" for p, a in factor(d): q = p**a if not Mod(M, q).is_square(): return False return True def solve_pell_with_congruences(d, M): """Find Pell candidates satisfying the required parity conditions.""" Q = BinaryQF([1, 0, -d]) for u, v in Q.solve_integer(M, _flag=3): u, v = ZZ(u), ZZ(v) if (u - 1) % 2 == 0 and (v - d) % 2 == 0: yield u, v def quadruple_from_pell(d, u, v): """Convert a parity-compatible Pell solution to a four-cube tuple.""" x = (u - 1) // 2 y = (v - d) // 2 return (x + 1, -x, -(y + d), y) def height(xs): """Return H=max_i |x_i|.""" return max(abs(x) for x in xs) def solve(n, limit=10**8, return_d=False): """Return one quadruple whose cubes sum to n, or None.""" n = ZZ(n) if n % 9 == 4: sol = solve(-n, limit=limit, return_d=True) if sol is None: return None x1, x2, x3, x4, d = sol out = (-x1, -x2, -x3, -x4) return out + (d,) if return_d else out residue = ZZ((1 - n) % 6) if residue == 0: residue = ZZ(6) for d in range(residue, limit + 1, 6): d = ZZ(d) if is_square(d): continue numerator = 4*n - 1 + d**3 if numerator % 3 != 0: continue M = numerator // 3 if not local_admissible(n, d, M): continue candidates = [ quadruple_from_pell(d, u, v) for u, v in solve_pell_with_congruences(d, M) ] if not candidates: continue out = min( candidates, key=lambda xs: (height(xs), tuple(xs)), ) return out + (d,) if return_d else out return None def verify(n, xs): """Check x1^3 + x2^3 + x3^3 + x4^3 = n exactly.""" return sum(ZZ(x)**3 for x in xs) == ZZ(n) def main(argv): targets = [ZZ(arg) for arg in argv] if not targets: targets = [ ZZ(254), ZZ(314159265358979323), ZZ(27182818284590452), ] for n in targets: sol = solve(n, limit=2000, return_d=True) ok = sol is not None and verify(n, sol[:4]) print(f"n = {n}") print(f"solution = {sol}") print(f"verified = {ok}") if not ok: raise SystemExit(1) if __name__ == "__main__": main(sys.argv[1:])