On the denominators of harmonic numbers (Q1701498): Difference between revisions

For a positive integer \(n\), write the \(n\)-th harmonic number \(H_n=1+\frac12+\frac13+\ldots +\frac1n\) as \(\frac{u_n}{v_n} \) with relatively prime positive integers \(u_n\) and \(v_n\). For a prime number \(p\), define the sets \(J_p=\{n: p\mid u_n\}\) and \(I_p=\{n: p \nmid v_n\}\). It is clear that \(J_p \subseteq I_p\). \textit{A. Eswarathasan} and \textit{E. Levine} [Discrete Math. 91, No. 3, 249--257 (1991; Zbl 0764.11018)] conjectured that for every prime number \(p\), \(J_p\) is finite. \textit{D. W. Boyd} [Exp. Math. 3, No. 4, 287--302 (1994; Zbl 0838.11015)] verified this conjecture up to 547, with three exceptions: \(p=83, 127, 397\). The main result of the paper supports the conjecture: for every positive integer \(m\), the set \(\{n: m\mid v_n \}\) has density one.