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A099120
Least m such that n = S(k) = S(k+m) for some k, where S is the Kempner function A002034.
2
3, 4, 5, 2, 7, 32, 27, 8, 11, 26, 13, 48, 19, 4096, 17, 74, 19, 447, 27, 121, 23, 4005, 3125, 169, 177147, 2401, 29, 1203, 31, 134217728, 459, 289, 551, 2684163, 37
OFFSET
3,1
COMMENTS
Consider the set Sn of d(n!)-d((n-1)!) positive integers k with S(k) = n, where d is the divisor counting function A000005. For each n, a(n) gives the least difference of integers in the set Sn. For prime n, a(n) = n. For n a power of a prime, a(n) = A046021(n), the least k in Sn. The Tutescu conjecture, which states that the equation S(k) = S(k+1) has no solutions, is equivalent to a(n) > 1 for all n.
REFERENCES
L. Tutescu, "On a Conjecture Concerning the Smarandache Function." Abstracts of Papers Presented to the Amer. Math. Soc. 17, 583, 1996.
LINKS
Eric Weisstein's World of Mathematics, Smarandache Function
EXAMPLE
a(6) = 2 because S(k) = 6 for k = 9, 16, 18, 36, 45, 48, 72, 80, 90, 144, 180, 240, 360, 720 and the least difference is 2, between 16 and 18.
MATHEMATICA
(*See A002034 for the Kempner function*) a=Table[Kempner[n], {n, 10!}]; Table[lst=Flatten[Position[a, n]]; mn=Infinity; Do[mn=Min[mn, lst[[i+1]]-lst[[i]]], {i, Length[lst]-1}]; mn, {n, 10}]
CROSSREFS
Cf. A099118 (number of times S(k+n) = S(k)), A099119 (greatest k such that S(k) = S(k-n)).
Sequence in context: A262411 A280488 A250072 * A199620 A375829 A016553
KEYWORD
nonn
AUTHOR
T. D. Noe, Sep 28 2004
STATUS
approved