OFFSET
1,7
COMMENTS
Conjecture: (i) a(n) > 0 for all n > 5.
(ii) For any n > 3, sigma(k)*phi(n-k) - 1 and sigma(k)*phi(n-k) + 1 are both prime for some 0 < k < n, where sigma(k) is the sum of all (positive) divisors of k.
(iii) For any n > 5 not equal to 35, there is a positive integer k < n such that phi(k)*phi(n-k) - 1 is a Sophie Germain prime.
Note that part (i) implies the twin prime conjecture. We have verified it for n up to 10^7.
LINKS
Zhi-Wei Sun, Table of n, a(n) for n = 1..10000
EXAMPLE
a(6) = 1 since phi(1)*phi(5) = 1*4 = 4 with 4 - 1 and 4 + 1 twin primes.
a(8) = 1 since phi(1)*phi(7) = 1*6 = 6 with 6 - 1 and 6 + 1 twin primes.
a(16) = 1 since phi(2)*phi(14) = 1*6 = 6 with 6 - 1 and 6 + 1 twin primes.
a(17) = 1 since phi(3)*phi(14) = 2*6 = 12 with 12 - 1 and 12 + 1 twin primes.
a(19) = 1 since phi(1)*phi(18) = 1*6 = 6 with 6 - 1 and 6 + 1 twin primes.
a(23) = 1 since phi(2)*phi(21) = 1*12 = 12 with 12 - 1 and 12 + 1 twin primes.
a(25) = 1 since phi(11)*phi(14) = 10*6 = 60 with 60 - 1 and 60 + 1 twin primes.
a(26) = 1 since phi(7)*phi(19) = 6*18 = 108 with 108 - 1 and 108 + 1 twin primes.
a(42) = 1 since phi(14)*phi(28) = 6*12 = 72 with 72 - 1 and 72 +1 twin primes.
a(52) = 1 since phi(14)*phi(38) = 6*18 = 108 with 108 - 1 and 108 + 1 twin primes.
MATHEMATICA
TQ[n_]:=PrimeQ[n-1]&&PrimeQ[n+1]
a[n_]:=Sum[If[TQ[EulerPhi[k]*EulerPhi[n-k]], 1, 0], {k, 1, (n-1)/2}]
Table[a[n], {n, 1, 100}]
CROSSREFS
KEYWORD
nonn
AUTHOR
Zhi-Wei Sun, Dec 12 2013
STATUS
approved