OFFSET
1,3
COMMENTS
Only a(1) is proved. Perfect powers examined up to 10^21. This is similar to A076427, but more restrictive.
Hence, through 10^21, there is only one value in the sequence: Semiprimes which are both one more than a perfect power and one less than another perfect power. This is to perfect powers A001597 approximately as A108278 is to squares. A more exact analogy would be to the set of integers such as 30^2 = 900 since 900-1 = 899 = 29 * 31, and 900+1 = 901 = 17 * 53. A189045 INTERSECTION A189047. a(1) = 26 because 26 = 2 * 13 is semiprime, 26-1 = 25 = 5^2, and 26+1 = 27 = 3^3. - Jonathan Vos Post, Apr 16 2011
Pillai's conjecture is that a(n) is finite for all n. - Charles R Greathouse IV, Apr 30 2012
EXAMPLE
1 = 3^2 - 2^3;
2 = 3^3 - 2^5;
3 = 2^2 - 1^2 = 2^7 - 5^3;
4 = 2^3 - 2^2 = 6^2 - 2^5 = 5^3 - 11^2.
MATHEMATICA
nn = 10^12; pp = Join[{1}, Union[Flatten[Table[n^i, {i, 2, Log[2, nn]}, {n, 2, nn^(1/i)}]]]]; d = Select[Differences[pp], # <= 100 &]; Table[Count[d, n], {n, 100}]
CROSSREFS
KEYWORD
nonn
AUTHOR
T. D. Noe, Apr 16 2011
STATUS
approved