Schäffer's conjecture for even $k\le 42$

In 1956, Schäffer made a conjecture on the whole number solutions to the Diophantine equation $S_k(x):=1^k+2^k+\cdots +x^k=y^n$. In this paper we show how for even $k$, we can descend to a long list of three coupled equations of the form $A{x}^p-B{y}^p=1$, where $A,B\in \mathbb{Q}$. To this system, we apply the modular method, linear forms in logarithms, and local methods. As a result, we prove Schäffer’s conjecture for even $k\le 42$.