I’m trying to solve the Diophantine equation $$X^2-6Y^2=Z^3 \tag{$\star$}$$ in positive integers $x,y,z$.
Brute force calculations confirm the naïve intuition that there are many [read: surely infinite!] primitive solutions; numerical observation suggests the solutions have determinable [perhaps even “descent”- or “recurrence”-based?] patterns. For example, one “stream” of solutions is $$(x,y,z) \in \{(5,2,1),\ (49,20,1),\ (485,198,1),\ (4801,1960,1),\dots\},$$ where $z=1$ and the $(x_n,y_n)$ satisfy the recurrence $t_n = 10t_{n-1}-t_{n-2}$. Another such stream exists for $z=19$, another for $z=25$, etc.
Evidently, ($\star$) is related to [but different from] the Pellian equation $$X^2-6Y^2=Z^2,$$ so I’m wondering:
Question #1: Is a complete solution already known, either for the equation or for one of the variables (e.g. characterization of $z$)?
Question #2: If not, what are the most promising ways to attack the problem?
For fixed $Z$ you have a Pell-type equation in $X$ and $Y$; by the theory of such equations, if there is one solution to this there are infinitely many. In fact, if $(X,Y,Z)$ is one solution then $(5X+12Y,2X+5Y,Z)$ is another. The real question is for what values of $Z$ are there solutions?
EDIT: It appears that $X^2 - 6 Y^2 = Z^3$ has integer solutions if and only if $X^2 - 6 Y^2 = Z$ has solutions. One direction is easy: if $X^2-6 Y^2 = Z$ then $(XZ)^2 - 6 (YZ)^2 = Z^3$.
EDIT: The nonnegative integers $z$ for which $X^2 - 6 Y^2 = z$ has integer solutions are OEIS sequence A242661. On the other hand, you don't always have solutions with $\gcd(X,Y,z)=1$. The sequence of $z$ for which $X^2-6Y^2=z^3$ has such solutions is $1, 19, 25, 43, 67, 73, 97, 115, 139, 145, 163, 193, 211, 235, 241, 265, 283, \ldots$, which is not (yet) in OEIS.