OFFSET
2,9
COMMENTS
From Thomas Ordowski, Sep 08 2017: (Start)
By Bang's theorem, a(n) > 0 for all n > 1, see A186522.
Primes p such that a(p) = 1 are the Mersenne exponents A000043.
Composite numbers m for which a(m) = 1 are A292079.
a(n) >= A086251(n), where equality is for all prime numbers and for some composite numbers (among others for all odd prime powers p^k with k > 1).
Theorem: if n is prime, then a(n) = A046800(n).
Conjecture: if a(n) = A046800(n), then n is prime.
Problem: is a(n) < A046800(n) for every composite n? (End)
LINKS
Charles R Greathouse IV, Table of n, a(n) for n = 2..1200 (terms 2..200 from Seppo Mustonen, terms 201..786 from Michel Marcus)
S. Mustonen, On prime factors of numbers m^n+-1, 2010.
Seppo Mustonen, On prime factors of numbers m^n+-1 [Local copy]
EXAMPLE
For n=10 the prime factors of 2^n - 1 = 1023 are 3, 11 and 31, and 11 = n+1, 31 = 3n+1. Thus a(10)=2.
MATHEMATICA
m = 2; n = 2; nmax = 200;
While[n <= nmax, {l = FactorInteger[m^n - 1]; s = 0;
For[i = 1, i <= Length[l],
i++, {p = l[[i, 1]];
If[IntegerQ[(p - 1)/n] == True, s = s + l[[i, 2]]]; }];
a[n] = s; } n++; ];
Table[a[n], {n, 2, nmax}]
PROG
(PARI) a(n) = my(f = factor(2^n-1)); sum(k=1, #f~, ((f[k, 1]-1) % n)==0); \\ Michel Marcus, Sep 10 2017
CROSSREFS
KEYWORD
nonn
AUTHOR
Seppo Mustonen, Nov 22 2010
EXTENSIONS
Name edited by Thomas Ordowski, Sep 19 2017
STATUS
approved