On distinct unit fractions whose sum equals 1 (Q5971516): Difference between revisions

The author asks nine questions concerning the Diophantine equation \[ 1 = \frac1{x_1} + \frac1{x_2} + \dots \frac1{x_k}, \quad 1 < x_1 < x_2 < \dots < x_k, k \text{ an integer}, \] for example (question 4), \textit{does this equation have a solution in odd integers for every given odd \(x_1 \geq 3\,\)}? The author gives two examples for this question with \(x_1=5\), and \(k=21\) resp. \(k=23\). Moreover he gives an example of a solution (\(k=68\)), where no \(x_i\) divides another \(x_j\). The reviewer could not find hints how these examples were found. He does not believe that examples with \(x_1=3\) and \(x_1=5\) justify the concluding remark: \textit{It seems that the answer to Question 4 \dots is positive}.