A100876 Least number of squares that sum to prime(n).

2, 3, 2, 4, 3, 2, 2, 3, 4, 2, 4, 2, 2, 3, 4, 2, 3, 2, 3, 4, 2, 4, 3, 2, 2, 2, 4, 3, 2, 2, 4, 3, 2, 3, 2, 4, 2, 3, 4, 2, 3, 2, 4, 2, 2, 4, 3, 4, 3, 2, 2, 4, 2, 3, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 2, 3, 2, 3, 4, 2, 2, 3, 2, 3, 2, 2, 4, 4, 2, 3, 4, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 2, 4, 2, 4, 3, 2, 2, 2, 4, 3, 4, 4, 3, 3, 4, 2, 2, 3, 2, 3, 2, 3, 2, 3

Offset

1,1

Comments

Note that a(n) <= 4 by Lagrange's four-square theorem. - T. D. Noe, Jan 10 2005

Primes 2 and 4k+1 (A002313) require only 2 positive squares; primes 8k+3 (A007520) require 3 positive squares; primes 8k+7 (A007522) require 4 positive squares.

Links

Table of n, a(n) for n=1..105.

Formula

a(n) = A002828(prime(n)) - T. D. Noe, Jan 10 2005

Example

a(2)=3 because 3=1^2+1^2+1^2;
a(3)=2 because 5=1^2+2^2;
a(4)=4 because 7=2^2+1^2+1^2+1^2.

Mathematica

SquareCnt[n_] := If[SquaresR[1, n] > 0, 1, If[SquaresR[2, n] > 0, 2, If[SquaresR[3, n] > 0, 3, 4]]]; Table[p = Prime[n]; SquareCnt[p], {n, 150}] (* T. D. Noe, Jan 10 2005, revised Sep 27 2011 *)

Crossrefs

Cf. A002828 (least number of squares needed to represent n).

Sequence in context: A308566 A288535 A105117 * A089215 A238766 A375513

Adjacent sequences: A100873 A100874 A100875 * A100877 A100878 A100879

Keyword

nonn

Author

Giovanni Teofilatto, Jan 09 2005

Extensions

More terms from T. D. Noe, Jan 10 2005

Status

approved