On the difference of values of the kernel function at consecutive integers (Q1774355)

Let \(\gamma(n)= \prod_{p|n}p\) be the ``kernel'' of \(n\) (sometimes known as the ``core function'' or ``algebraic radical'' of \(n\)). The authors investigate the equation \(\gamma(n+ 1)-\gamma(n)= k\), for fixed values of \(k\). They observe that there are a positive proportion of integers for which both \(n\) and \(n+ 1\) are square-free, leading to solutions with \(k= 1\). When \(k= -1\) they take \(n = 2^{2r}+ 2^{r+1}\), which provides a solution if both \(2^{r-1}+ 1\) and \(2^r+ 1\) are square-free. The principal result of this paper however is that the \(ABC\) conjecture implies that for \(n\) not of the above types one has \[ |\gamma(n+1)- \gamma(n)|\gg_\varepsilon n^{1/10-\varepsilon} \] for any fixed \(\varepsilon> 0\).