Some remarks on Sierpiński numbers and related problems (Q549075)

An odd positive integer \(k\) is said to be a Sierpiński number if \(2^n k+1\) is composite for all \(n\geq 1\). It was shown by \textit{W. Sierpiński} in 1960 [Elem. Math. 15, 73--74 (1960; Zbl 0093.04602)] that there are infinitely many such numbers \(k\). The authors prove certain results concerning Sierpiński numbers of various shapes. They also show that there exist infinitely many even positive integers not of the forms \(2^k+\varphi(m)\), or \(2^k-\varphi(m)\), or \(\varphi(m)-2^k\) for some positive integers \(k\) and \(m\), where \(\varphi\) is Euler's phi-function.