No label defined (Q4249701)

Let \(D(n)= d(n!)- d((n-1)!)\) where \(d(k)\) denotes the number of positive divisors of \(k\). The integer \(n>1\) is said to be a champ if \(D(m)< D(n)\) whenever \(1\leq m< n\). In the final section of [Analytic number theory: Vol. 1, Proceedings of a Conference in honor of Heini Halberstam, Birkhäuser, Boston, Prog. Math. 138, 337-355 (1996; Zbl 0858.11051)] \textit{P. Erdős, S. W. Graham} and the current authors showed that \(p\), \(2p\) are champs for every prime \(p\). The authors continue this interesting investigation by showing that, on the assumption of the prime \(k\)-tuples conjecture, for any prime \(r\) there are infinitely many champs of the form \(rq\) with \(q\) prime. They also prove unconditionally by using a result of G. Harman that the set of champs has asymptotic density zero, whereas in the paper quoted above the proof of this result was conditional on the Riemann hypothesis. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0910.00037].