A334958 GCD of consecutive terms of the factorial times the alternating harmonic series.

1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 12, 12, 48, 144, 1440, 1440, 17280, 17280, 241920, 18144000, 145152000, 145152000, 2612736000, 2612736000, 10450944000, 219469824000, 4828336128000, 4828336128000, 115880067072000, 579400335360000, 15064408719360000, 135579678474240000, 26573616980951040000, 26573616980951040000

Offset

1,4

Comments

For n = 1..14, we have a(n) = A025527(n), but a(15) = 18144000 <> 3628800 = A025527(15).

It appears that A025527(n) | a(n) for all n >= 1 and A025527(n) = a(n) for infinitely many n. In addition, it seems that a(n)/a(n-1) = A048671(n) for infinitely many n >= 2. However, I have not established these claims.

This sequence appears in formulas for sequences A075827, A075828, A075829, and A075830 (the first one of which was established in 2002 by Michael Somos).

Conjecture: a(n) = n! * Product_{p <= n} p^min(0, v_p(H'(n))), where the product ranges over primes p, H'(n) = Sum_{k=1..n} (-1)^(k+1)/k, and v_p(r) is the p-adic valuation of rational r (checked for n < 1100).

Links

Table of n, a(n) for n=1..29.

Formula

a(n) = gcd(A024167(n+1), A024167(n)) = gcd(A024168(n+1), A024168(n)) = gcd(A024167(n), n!) = gcd(A024168(n), n!) = gcd(A024167(n), A024168(n)).

Example

A024167(4) = 4!*(1 - 1/2 + 1/3 - 1/4) = 14, A024167(5) = 5!*(1 - 1/2 + 1/3 - 1/4 + 1/5) = 94, A024168(4) = 4!*(1/2 - 1/3 + 1/4) = 10, and A024168(5) = 5!*(1/2 - 1/3 + 1/4 - 1/5) = 26. Then a(4) = gcd(14, 94) = gcd(10, 26) = gcd(14, 4!) = gcd(10, 4!) = gcd(14, 10) = 2.

Maple

b:= proc(n) b(n):= (-(-1)^n/n +`if`(n=1, 0, b(n-1))) end:
a:= n-> (f-> igcd(b(n)*f, f))(n!):
seq(a(n), n=1..30);  # Alois P. Heinz, May 18 2020

Mathematica

b[n_] := b[n] = -(-1)^n/n + If[n == 1, 0, b[n-1]];
a[n_] := GCD[b[n] #, #]&[n!];
Array[a, 30] (* Jean-François Alcover, Oct 27 2020, after Alois P. Heinz *)

Prog

(SageMath)
def A():
    a, b, n = 1, 1, 2
    while True:
        yield gcd(a, b)
        b, a = a, a + b * n * n
        n += 1
a = A(); print([next(a) for _ in range(29)]) # Peter Luschny, May 19 2020

Crossrefs

Cf. A000142, A024167, A024168, A025527, A048671, A058312, A058313, A075827, A075828, A075829, A075830.

Cf. A056612 (similar sequence for the harmonic series).

Sequence in context: A328520 A055772 A025527 * A205957 A341432 A092144

Adjacent sequences: A334955 A334956 A334957 * A334959 A334960 A334961

Keyword

nonn

Author

Petros Hadjicostas, May 17 2020

Status

approved