Integer solutions on algebraic curves — lattice points and geometry
Diophantine equations seek integer (or rational) solutions to polynomial equations. The circle x²+y²=n has integer solutions iff every prime p≡3 (mod 4) appears to an even power in n (Fermat's two-square theorem). Elliptic curves y²=x³+ax+b are the frontier of number theory — integer points are finite (Siegel's theorem) except degenerate cases. Pell's equation x²-Dy²=1 has infinitely many solutions via continued fractions. Hover over the curve to see nearby lattice points.