Abstract: Representative examples of our results are as follows. For any positive integer N the equation x<sup>3+y<sup>3=z<sup>3+t<sup>3,</sup></sup></sup></sup>x,y,z,t∈N,x,yî€ =z,t has no solutions satisfying $$ N\le x,y,z,t < N+\Bigl(\frac{38}{3}N+\frac{1297}{36}\Bigr)<sup>{1/2}+\frac{19}{6}.</sup> $$ The strict inequality $<$" can not be substituted by≤", that is, there exist infinitely many positive integers N such that the equation has a solution with N≤x,y,z,t≤N+(338​N+361297​)<sup>1/2+619​.</sup> There is an absolute constant $c>0$ such that for any positive integer N the equation has a solution satisfying N≤x,y,z,t≤N+cN<sup>2/3.</sup> For any $\varepsilon>0$ there exist infinitely many positive integers N such that the equation has no solutions satisfying N≤x,y,z,t≤N+N<sup>4/7−ε.</sup> There is an absolute constant $c>0$ such that for any positive integer N the equation x<sup>4+y<sup>4=z<sup>4+t<sup>4,</sup></sup></sup></sup>x,y,z,t∈N,x,yî€ =z,t, has no solutions satisfying N≤x,y,z,t≤N+cN<sup>3/5.</sup> There is an absolute constant $c>0$ such that for any positive integer N this equation has a solution satisfying N≤x,y,z,t≤N+cN<sup>12/13.</sup>