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A374916
Lexicographically earliest sequence of distinct positive integers in which any three consecutive terms are pairwise coprime whereas the squarefree kernel of their product is a primorial number (A002110).
0
1, 2, 3, 5, 4, 9, 25, 8, 21, 55, 16, 63, 125, 22, 147, 65, 44, 189, 325, 88, 357, 845, 176, 441, 625, 32, 27, 35, 64, 33, 175, 26, 99, 245, 52, 297, 595, 104, 363, 875, 128, 81, 385, 208, 51, 1925, 338, 153, 2695, 416, 243, 4235, 256, 39, 6545, 38, 117, 32725
OFFSET
1,2
COMMENTS
Variation on a theme of A374445. Let i = a(n-2), j = a(n-1) and k = a(n). Then rad(i*j*k) is a term in A002110 whereas (i, j) = (i, k) = (j, k) = 1.
If i is even, both j and k must be odd (by combination of coprimality and primorial conditions). Furthermore two odd terms must be followed by an even term (by the primorial condition). Consequently, starting with a(2) = 2 the sequence displays parity pattern {even, odd, odd} throughout. After a(1) = 1 the sequence continues a(2,3,4) = 2,3,5 implying a(5) = 4 and a(6) = 9, establishing the pattern that if the Lpf of the term preceding even a(n) is 5 then the term following a(n) must have Lpf = 3, which forces the next term to have Lpf = 5, and so on. This pattern is locked in at a(2,3,4) and persists throughout the sequence so that starting from any a(3*k+2), (k >= 0) the Lpf pattern {2,3,5} is continued in successive consecutive triples of adjacent terms.
6 cannot be a term in this sequence since if so a(i) = 6 would require Lpf(j) >= 5; contradiction. By similar arguments 10,15 and 30 are also not terms. Consequently no multiples of 6, 10, 15 or 30 are terms. 2,3,5 are the only prime terms and 1,2 are the only primorial terms. All terms are numbers divisible by one and only one of {2,3,5}, and the sequence is conjectured to be a permutation of such numbers, namely those congruent to (+ -){2,3,4,5,8,9,14} (mod 30).
Outside 1 and powers of 2, the sequence is a proper subset of A080259.
Conjecture: As n approaches infinity all primorial numbers will eventually appear as rad(i*j*k).
EXAMPLE
The sequence must start with a(1,2,3) = 1,2,3 since this is the earliest triple of distinct terms which satisfy the definition.
a(4) = 5 since 2*3*5 = 30 = A002110(3), the coprime conditions are satisfied and no smaller distinct number is possible.
a(20) = 88 and a(21) = 357. 88 = 2^*11, 357 = 3*7*17 means that a(22) must be the least unused number divisible by both 5 and 13. Thus a(22) = 845 = 5*13^2. (because a(16) = 65 = 5*13 and a(19) = 325 = 5^2*13 have both occurred already).
CROSSREFS
KEYWORD
nonn
AUTHOR
STATUS
approved