cp's OEIS Frontend

Sigma is the sum of divisors (A000203), and phi is the Euler totient function (A000010). - Michael B. Porter, Jul 05 2013

Because sigma and phi are multiplicative functions, it is easy to show that (1) if a(n)=0, then n is prime or 1 and (2) if a(n)=2, then n is the product of two distinct prime numbers. Note that a(n) is the n-th term of the Dirichlet series whose generating function is given below. Using the generating function, it is theoretically possible to compute a(n). Hence a(n)=0 could be used as a primality test and a(n)=2 could be used as a test for membership in P2 (A006881). - T. D. Noe, Aug 01 2002

It appears that a(n) - A002033(n) = zeta(s-1) * (zeta(s) - 2 + 1/zeta(s)) + 1/(zeta(s)-2). - Eric Desbiaux, Jul 04 2013

a(n) = 1 if and only if n = prime(k)^2 (n is in A001248). It seems that a(n) = k has only finitely many solutions for k >= 3. - Jianing Song, Jun 27 2021

This sequence is interesting because (1) a(n) >= 2 n^2, with equality only when n is prime (or 1) and (2) a(n) = 2 + 2*n^2 if and only if n is the product of two distinct primes. Note for twin primes: let n = m^2 - 1, then m-1 and m+1 are twin primes if and only if a(n) = 2 + 2*n^2. Note for the Goldbach conjecture: let n = m^2 - r^2, then m-r and m+r are primes that add to 2m if and only if a(n) = 2 + 2*n^2. See A072780 for a(n) - 2*n^2.