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Lehmer's totient problem

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Revision as of 10:32, 19 December 2022 by Pit142857 (talk | contribs) (Properties: number formatting)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) For Lehmer's Mahler measure problem, see Lehmer's conjecture. Unsolved problem in mathematics: Can the totient function of a composite number n {\displaystyle n} divide n 1 {\displaystyle n-1} ? (more unsolved problems in mathematics)

In mathematics, Lehmer's totient problem asks whether there is any composite number n such that Euler's totient function φ(n) divides n − 1. This is an unsolved problem.

It is known that φ(n) = n − 1 if and only if n is prime. So for every prime number n, we have φ(n) = n − 1 and thus in particular φ(n) divides n − 1. D. H. Lehmer conjectured in 1932 that there are no composite numbers with this property.


Properties

  • Lehmer showed that if any composite solution n exists, it must be odd, square-free, and divisible by at least seven distinct primes (i.e. ω(n) ≥ 7). Such a number must also be a Carmichael number.
  • In 1980, Cohen and Hagis proved that, for any solution n to the problem, n > 10 and ω(n) ≥ 14.
  • In 1988, Hagis showed that if 3 divides any solution n, then n > 10 and ω(n) ≥ 298848. This was subsequently improved by Burcsi, Czirbusz, and Farkas, who showed that if 3 divides any solution n, then n > 10 and ω(n) ≥ 40000000.
  • The number of solutions to the problem less than X {\displaystyle X} is at most X 1 / 2 / ( log X ) 1 / 2 + o ( 1 ) {\displaystyle {X^{1/2}/(\log X)^{1/2+o(1)}}} .

References

  1. Lehmer (1932)
  2. Sándor et al (2006) p.23
  3. Guy (2004) p.142
  4. Burcsi, P. , Czirbusz,S., Farkas, G. (2011). "Computational investigation of Lehmer's totient problem". Ann. Univ. Sci. Budapest. Sect. Comput. 35: 43-49.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. Luca and Pomerance (2011)
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