A019277 Records in A019294, number of iterations of the sigma function to reach a multiple of the starting value.

1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 15, 16, 17, 78, 97, 101, 120, 174, 214, 239, 261, 263, 296, 380, 557, 1287, 1524, 1722, 1911, 2023, 2373

Offset: 1

Author

N. J. A. Sloane

Keywords

• hard
• nonn

Comments

Original name: Let sigma_m(n) be the result of applying the sum-of-divisors function m times to n; let m(n) = min m such that n divides sigma_m (n); let k(n) = sigma_{m(n)}(n)/n; sequence gives k(n) for the megaperfect numbers n, where m(n) increases.

Records in A019294. a(n>=23) depend on a few probable primes.

See also the Cohen-te Riele links under A019276.

The original name mentioned the sequence of ratios k, i.e., A019295(A019276) = (1, 2, 5, 24, 168, 1834560, 6516224, 881280, ...), at present not listed in the OEIS. - M. F. Hasler, Jan 07 2020

Links

• Graeme L. Cohen and Herman J. J. te Riele, Iterating the sum-of-divisors function, Experimental Mathematics, 5 (1996), pp. 93-100.

Crossrefs

Cf. A019276 (megaperfect numbers: where A019294 has records), A019294 (min m: n|sigma^m(n)), A019295 (sigma^m(n)/n with m = A019294).

Programs

Mathematica

f[n_, m_] := Block[{d = DivisorSigma[1, n]}, If[Mod[d, m] == 0, 0, d]]; g[n_] := Length[ NestWhileList[ f[ #, n] &, n, # != 0 &]] - 1; a = 0; Do[b = g[n]; If[b > a, a = b; Print[ a]], {n, 460}] (* Robert G. Wilson v, Jun 24 2005 *)

PARI

{M=0; for(n=1,oo, my(s=n,m=1); while((s=sigma(s))%n,m++); m>M&&print1(M=m,","))} \\ M. F. Hasler, Jan 07 2020

Formula

a(n) = A019294(A019276(n)). - M. F. Hasler, Jan 07 2020

Extensions

Definition corrected by M. F. Hasler, Jan 07 2020