A100876 Least number of squares that sum to prime(n).

2, 3, 2, 4, 3, 2, 2, 3, 4, 2, 4, 2, 2, 3, 4, 2, 3, 2, 3, 4, 2, 4, 3, 2, 2, 2, 4, 3, 2, 2, 4, 3, 2, 3, 2, 4, 2, 3, 4, 2, 3, 2, 4, 2, 2, 4, 3, 4, 3, 2, 2, 4, 2, 3, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 2, 3, 2, 3, 4, 2, 2, 3, 2, 3, 2, 2, 4, 4, 2, 3, 4, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 2, 4, 2, 4, 3, 2, 2, 2, 4, 3, 4, 4, 3, 3, 4, 2, 2, 3, 2, 3, 2, 3, 2, 3

Offset: 1

Author

Giovanni Teofilatto, Jan 09 2005

Keywords

• nonn

Comments

Note that a(n) <= 4 by Lagrange's four-square theorem. - T. D. Noe, Jan 10 2005

Primes 2 and 4k+1 (A002313) require only 2 positive squares; primes 8k+3 (A007520) require 3 positive squares; primes 8k+7 (A007522) require 4 positive squares.

Examples

			a(2)=3 because 3=1^2+1^2+1^2;
a(3)=2 because 5=1^2+2^2;
a(4)=4 because 7=2^2+1^2+1^2+1^2.
		

Crossrefs

Cf. A002828 (least number of squares needed to represent n).

Programs

Mathematica

SquareCnt[n_] := If[SquaresR[1, n] > 0, 1, If[SquaresR[2, n] > 0, 2, If[SquaresR[3, n] > 0, 3, 4]]]; Table[p = Prime[n]; SquareCnt[p], {n, 150}] (* T. D. Noe, Jan 10 2005, revised Sep 27 2011 *)

Formula

a(n) = A002828(prime(n)) - T. D. Noe, Jan 10 2005

Extensions

More terms from T. D. Noe, Jan 10 2005