The irrationality of a number theoretical series (Q874914): Difference between revisions

Let \(\sigma_k(n) = \sum_{d \mid n} d^k\), and set \(S_k = \sum_{n \in \mathbb N} \sigma_k(n)/n!\). Erdös, Kac and Straus showed that \(S_0, S_1\) and \(S_2\), are irrational, and Erdös has posed the question whether \(S_k\) is irrational for all \(k\). In this paper, the author establishes the irrationality of \(S_3\). He also proves that Schinzel's Hypothesis H implies the irrationality of \(S_k\) for all \(k \in \mathbb N\). Schinzel's Hypothesis H is a generalization of the twin-prime conjecture: Suppose that \(P_1(x), \dots, P_k (x) \in \mathbb Z[x]\) have positive leading coefficients and that no prime divides the product \(P_1(n) \cdots P_k(n)\) for all \(n \in \mathbb Z\). Then there exist infinitely many integers \(n\) such that \(P_1(n), \dots, P_k(n)\) are all prime.