OFFSET
1,2
COMMENTS
Clarification of definition: If p^j = the largest power of the prime p to divide n, then write down the prime p a total of j times. Do this for all primes dividing n. Next, take a permutation q = (q(1), q(2),...q(r)) (r = sum of the exponents in the prime-factorization of n) of all these primes, and write them in a exponent tower like this: q(1)^(q(2)^(q(3)^(...^q(r)))). a(n) = the largest possible value of this tower, considering all permutations q.
a(24) = 2^(2^(3^2)) is 155 digits and too long to display.
EXAMPLE
The primes dividing 12 are (with repetition): 2, 2, 3. There are three distinct exponent towers that can be constructed with these primes: 2^(2^3) = 256, 2^(3^2) = 512, and 3^(2^2) = 81. a(12) = the largest of these, which is 512.
CROSSREFS
KEYWORD
nonn
AUTHOR
Leroy Quet, Aug 13 2009
EXTENSIONS
Extended by Ray Chandler, Mar 16 2010
STATUS
approved