A binary linear recurrence sequence of composite numbers (Q982527): Difference between revisions

Let \((a,b) \in \mathbb{Z}^2\), where \(b \neq 0\) and \((a,b) \neq (\pm 2,-1)\). The authors prove that then there exist two positive relatively prime composite integers \(x_1\), \(x_2\) such that the sequence given by \(x_{n+1} = ax_n + bx_{n-1}\), \(n=2,3,\dots\), consists of composite terms only, i.e., \(|x_n|\) is a composite integer for each \(n\in \mathbb{N}\). In the proof of this result they use certain covering systems, divisibility sequences and, for some special pairs \((a, \pm 1)\), computer calculations. The paper is motivated by a result of Graham who proved this theorem in the special case of the Fibonacci-like sequence, where \((a,b) = (1,1)\). We note that the problems discussed in the paper have inspired many mathematicians (M. Hall, D. E. Knuth, H. S. Wilf, J. W. Nicol, M. Vsemirnov). Moreover, it might be interesting to extend some results of the paper to linear recurrence sequences of order \(d \geq 3\).