OFFSET
1,2
COMMENTS
The (relative) abundancy of n is sigma(n)/n, not sigma(n) - 2n. - M. F. Hasler, Apr 12 2015 [As far as I know, "abundancy" has only this meaning; the much less useful sigma(n) - 2n is called "abundance". - Charles R Greathouse IV, Feb 19 2017]
So far all known perfect numbers (abundancy = 2) are even, cf. A000396 = (6, 28, 496, 8128, ...). It has been conjectured but not proved that there are no odd perfect numbers. This sequence provides the list of odd numbers that approach perfection (odd numbers which abundancy is closer to two than the abundancy of any smaller odd number).
Odd numbers n such that abs(sigma(n)/n-2) < abs(sigma(m)/m-2) for all m < n. That is, each n is closer to being an odd perfect number than the preceding n. Interestingly, if abs(sigma(n)/n-2) is expressed as a reduced fraction, the numerator of the fraction is 2 for 25 out of the first 30 terms. Terms a(29) and a(30) are 127595519865 and 154063853475. - T. D. Noe, Jan 28 2010
Indices of successive minima in the sequence |A000203(n)/n - 2| for odd n. The sequence would terminate at the smallest odd perfect number (if it exists). - Max Alekseyev, Jan 26 2010
This sequence is finite if and only there is an odd perfect number. "If" is evident. "Only if" follows because for any real number r > 1 there is an odd number m relatively prime to a given integer such that 1 < sigma(m)/m < r. For example, take a large enough prime. - Charles R Greathouse IV, Dec 13 2016, corrected Feb 19 2017
LINKS
Giovanni Resta, Table of n, a(n) for n = 1..40 (terms < 10^13; first 36 terms from T. D. Noe)
Mathworld, Abundancy.
EXAMPLE
Example: a(8) = 1155 since sigma(1155)/1155 = 1.9948 which is closer to 2 than any smaller a(n).
MATHEMATICA
minDiff=Infinity; k=-1; Table[k=k+2; While[abun=DivisorSigma[1, k]/k; Abs[2-abun] > minDiff, k=k+2]; minDiff=Abs[2-abun]; k, {15}] (* T. D. Noe, Jan 28 2010 *)
PROG
(PARI) m=2; forstep(n=1, 10^10, 2, t=abs(sigma(n)/n - 2); if(t<m, m=t; print1(n, ", "); ); ); \\ Max Alekseyev, Jan 26 2010
CROSSREFS
KEYWORD
hard,nonn
AUTHOR
Sergio Pimentel, Jan 05 2010
EXTENSIONS
Name improved by T. D. Noe, Jan 28 2010
More terms from Max Alekseyev, T. D. Noe and J. Mulder (jasper.mulder(AT)planet.nl), Jan 26 2010
STATUS
approved