On positive integers \(n\) such that \(\varphi(1)+\varphi(2)+\cdots+ \varphi(n)\) is a square (Q1959044): Difference between revisions

Let \(a_n= \sum_{1\leq m\leq n}\varphi(m)\), where \(\varphi(m)\) denotes Euler's function, and let \(S(x)= \{n\leq x: a_n\) is a perfect square\} which has \(\# S(x)\) elements. The authors show that \(\# S(x)\leq c_0x(\log x)^{-0.0003}\) for \(x> 2\), where \(c_0\) is a positive constant. The proof is an intricate combinatorial argument in which an upper bound is derived for the size of various subsets of \(S(x)\) satisfying certain conditions and these are combined to give the result. The authors conjecture that \(\# S(x)\to\infty\) as \(x\to\infty\). In [Lith. Math. J. 47, No. 3, 243--247 (2007)], the first author considers the corresponding problem for the sum of the first \(n\) primes.