After dividing the equation by xyzt we get x1+y1+z1+t1=1+xyzt3. Because of symmetry, without loss of generality, we can assume that
x≤y≤z≤t…(1)
from where it follows that x1≥y1≥z1≥t1. We get x4≥x1+y1+z1+t1=1+xyzt3>1, from where we have x<4.
Case 1. Let x=3. Then the equation is of the form 3yz+yzt+3zt+3yt=3yzt+3, or, equivalently 3(yz+zt+yt)=2yzt+3. After dividing this equation by yzt we get
3(y1+z1+t1)=2+yzt3>2,y9>2, from where we have y≤4.
The possible values for y are 3 and 4.
a) For y=4 we get
3(4z+zt+4t)=8zt+3, 12(z+t)=5zt+3, 12(z1+t1)=5+zt3>5,z24>5,
from where we have z≤4. From (1) it follows that z=4 and the equation gets the form 12(4+t)=20t+3, or, equivalently 8t=45, which implies that t is not a natural number.
b) For y=3, we get
3(3z+zt+3t)=6zt+3, 3(z+t)=zt+1, 3(z1+t1)=1+zt1>1,z6>1,z<6.
The possible values for z are 3, 4, 5.
- Let z=3. Then 3(3+t)=3t+1 which is impossible.
- If z=4, then 3(4+t)=4t+1, t=11.
- If z=5, then 3(5+t)=5t+1, t=7.
We get that the quadriplets (3,3,4,11), (3,3,5,7) are solutions.
Case 2. Let x=2.
Then the equation is of the form
2yz+yzt+2zt+2yt=2yzt+3,
or, equivalently,
2(yz+zt+yt)=yzt+3(2).
Then each of the numbers y,z,t is odd. After dividing this equation by yzt we get 2(y1+z1+t1)=1+yzt3>1 from where we have y6>1, or, equivalently y<6.
a) If y=5 then (2) is of the form 2(5z+zt+5t)=5zt+3, or, equivalently 10(z+t)=3zt+3. Hence 10(z1+t1)=3+zt3>3, therefore z1>203, or equivalently z≤6. The only possibility is z=5. We get 10(5+t)=15t+3, or, equivalently 5t=47 which implies that t is not a natural number.
b) If y=3, (2) is of the form 2(3z+zt+3t)=3zt+3, or equivalently 6(z+t)=zt+3. Then 6(z1+t1)=1+zt3>1, from where z12>1, or, equivalently z<12. The possibilities for z are 3, 5, 7, 9, 11.
- If z=3, then 6(3+t)=3t+3, from where we have 3t=−15, or equivalently t=−5∈/N.
- If z=5, then 6(5+t)=5t+3, t=−27∈/N.
- If z=7, then 6(7+t)=7t+3, t=39.
- If z=9, then 6(9+t)=9t+3, from where we have 3t=51, or, equivalently t=17.
Therefore in this case the solutions are the quadriplets (2,3,7,39), (2,3,9,17).
Case 3. The case remains when x=1. Then the equation is of the form yz+yzt+zt+yt=yzt+3, or, equivalently yz+zt+yt=3. From (1) we get 3yz≤3, or equivalently yz≤1, from where y=1 and z=1. Then 1+2t=3, or equivalently t=1. The quadriple (1,1,1,1) is a solution.
Finally, the solutions to the initial equation are all permutations of (3,3,4,11), (3,3,5,7), (2,3,7,39), (2,3,9,17), (1,1,1,1).