On primes and practical numbers

DOI10.1007/S11139-020-00354-YMaRDI QIDQ2115268zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Carl Pomerance, Andreas Weingartner

Publication date 15 March 2022

Published in The Ramanujan Journal (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/2007.11062

zbMATH Keywords

practical numbershifted prime

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Distribution of integers with specified multiplicative constraints (11N25) Asymptotic results on arithmetic functions (11N37)

Abstract: A number $n$ is practical if every integer in $[1,n]$ can be expressed as a subset sum of the positive divisors of $n$. We consider the distribution of practical numbers that are also shifted primes, improving a theorem of Guo and Weingartner. In addition, essentially proving a conjecture of Margenstern, we show that all large odd numbers are the sum of a prime and a practical number. We also consider an analogue of the prime $k$-tuples conjecture for practical numbers, proving the "correct" upper bound, and for pairs, improving on a lower bound of Melfi.

Review text

A number \(n\) is practical if every integer in \([1, n]\) can be expressed as a subset sum of the positive divisors of \(n\). In this paper, the authors study the distribution of practical numbers that are also shifted primes. For, they provide lower and upper bounds for the number of primes \(p\leq x\) such that \(p-h\) is practical, where \(h\) is any fixed odd integer. They prove that every sufficiently large odd integer is the sum of a prime and a practical number. Also, the authors give lower and upper bounds for the number of practical numbers \(n\) up to \(x\), such that \(n+h\) is also practical, where \(h\) is any fixed non zero even integer.

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Cited in

(13)

• On two conjectures about practical numbers
• The number of prime factors of integers with dense divisors
• Somewhat smooth numbers in short intervals
• Prime numbers, friends who give problems. A trialogue with Papa Paulo
• De los números de Midy a la primalidad
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 5629798 (Why is no real title available?)
• An extension of the Siegel-Walfisz theorem
• The practicality of shifted primes
• The mean number of divisors for rough, dense and practical numbers
• On sums of practical numbers and polygonal numbers
• Study of the divisor graph 5
• The Schinzel-Szekeres function
• Uniform distribution of n modulo one for a family of integer sequences

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