A124779 a(n) = gcd(A(n), A(n+2))/gcd(d(n), d(n+2)) where A(n) = Sum_{k=0..n} n!/k! and d(n) = gcd(A(n), n!).

1, 2, 5, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 13, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 37, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1

Offset: 0

Author

Jonathan Sondow, Nov 07 2006

Keywords

• nonn

Comments

The next term > 1 is a(460) = 463. The primes 2, 5, 13, 37, 463 are the only terms > 1 up to n = 600000. If a(n) > 1 with n > 1, then a(n) = n+3 is prime. This uses A(n+2) = (n+2)(n+1)*A(n) + n+3. The terms > 1 are A064384 = primes p such that p divides 0!-1!+2!-3!+...+(-1)^{p-1}(p-1)!. The proof uses (n-1)!/(n-k-1)! = (n-1)(n-2)...(n-k) == (-1)^k k! (mod n). Cf. Cloitre's comment in A064383.

An integer p > 1 is in the sequence if and only if p is prime and p|A(p-1), where A(0) = 1 and A(n) = n*A(n-1)+1 for n > 0. - Jonathan Sondow, Dec 22 2006

Michael Mossinghoff has calculated that there are only five primes in the sequence up to 150 million. Heuristics suggest it contains infinitely many. - Jonathan Sondow, Jun 12 2007

Examples

			a(2) = gcd(A(2), A(4))/gcd(d(2), d(4)) = gcd(5, 65)/gcd(1, 1) = 5/1 = 5.
		

References

• R. K. Guy, Unsolved Problems in Number Theory, Springer-Verlag, 3rd edition, 2004, B43.

Links

• J. Sondow, A geometric proof that e is irrational and a new measure of its irrationality, Amer. Math. Monthly 113 (2006) 637-641.
• J. Sondow, A geometric proof that e is irrational and a new measure of its irrationality, arXiv:0704.1282 [math.HO], 2007-2010.
• J. Sondow, The Taylor series for e and the primes 2, 5, 13, 37, 463: a surprising connection
• J. Sondow and K. Schalm, Which partial sums of the Taylor series for e are convergents to e? (and a link to the primes 2, 5, 13, 37, 463), II, Gems in Experimental Mathematics (T. Amdeberhan, L. A. Medina, and V. H. Moll, eds.), Contemporary Mathematics, vol. 517, Amer. Math. Soc., Providence, RI, 2010.
• Eric Weisstein's World of Mathematics, Alternating Factorial
• Eric Weisstein's World of Mathematics, Integer Sequence Primes
• Index entries for sequences related to factorial numbers

Crossrefs

A(n) = A000522, d(n) = A093101, gcd(A(n), A(n+2)) = A124780, gcd(d(n), d(n+2)) = A124781, (n+3)/gcd(A(n), A(n+2)) = A124782, (n+3)/gcd(d(n), d(n+2)) = A123901. Cf. A061354, A061355, A123899, A123900.

Cf. A129924.

Programs

Mathematica

(A[n_] := Sum[n!/k!, {k, 0, n}]; d[n_] := GCD[A[n],n! ]; Table[GCD[A[n],A[n+2]]/GCD[d[n],d[n+2]], {n,0,100}])

PARI

A124779(n)={my(An=A000522(n),A2=A000522(n+2));gcd(An, A2)/gcd([An,n!,A2,(n+2)!])} \\ M. F. Hasler, Jun 04 2019

Formula

a(n) = A124780(n)/A124781(n) = A124782(n)/A123901(n).

a(n) = gcd(A(n), A(n+2))/gcd(A(n), A(n+2), n!) where A(n)=1+n+n(n-1)+...+n!. - Jonathan Sondow, Nov 10 2006

a(n) = gcd(N(n), N(n+2)), where N(n) = A061354(n) = numerator of Sum[1/k!,{k,0,n}]. - Jonathan Sondow, Jun 12 2007