A171929 Odd numbers whose abundancy is closer to 2 than any smaller odd number.

1, 3, 9, 15, 45, 105, 315, 1155, 7425, 8415, 8925, 31815, 32445, 351351, 442365, 13800465, 14571585, 16286445, 20355825, 20487159, 78524145, 132701205, 159030135, 815634435, 2586415095, 29169504045, 40833636525, 125208115065

Offset: 1

Author

Sergio Pimentel, Jan 05 2010

Keywords

• hard
• nonn

Comments

The (relative) abundancy of n is sigma(n)/n, not sigma(n) - 2n. - M. F. Hasler, Apr 12 2015 [As far as I know, "abundancy" has only this meaning; the much less useful sigma(n) - 2n is called "abundance". - Charles R Greathouse IV, Feb 19 2017]

So far all known perfect numbers (abundancy = 2) are even, cf. A000396 = (6, 28, 496, 8128, ...). It has been conjectured but not proved that there are no odd perfect numbers. This sequence provides the list of odd numbers that approach perfection (odd numbers which abundancy is closer to two than the abundancy of any smaller odd number).

Odd numbers n such that abs(sigma(n)/n-2) < abs(sigma(m)/m-2) for all m < n. That is, each n is closer to being an odd perfect number than the preceding n. Interestingly, if abs(sigma(n)/n-2) is expressed as a reduced fraction, the numerator of the fraction is 2 for 25 out of the first 30 terms. Terms a(29) and a(30) are 127595519865 and 154063853475. - T. D. Noe, Jan 28 2010

Indices of successive minima in the sequence |A000203(n)/n - 2| for odd n. The sequence would terminate at the smallest odd perfect number (if it exists). - Max Alekseyev, Jan 26 2010

This sequence is finite if and only there is an odd perfect number. "If" is evident. "Only if" follows because for any real number r > 1 there is an odd number m relatively prime to a given integer such that 1 < sigma(m)/m < r. For example, take a large enough prime. - Charles R Greathouse IV, Dec 13 2016, corrected Feb 19 2017

Of the initial 40 terms, only term 45 is in A228058 (and also in A228059). - Antti Karttunen, Jan 04 2025

Examples

			Example: a(8) = 1155 since sigma(1155)/1155 = 1.9948 which is closer to 2 than any smaller a(n).
		

Links

• Giovanni Resta, Table of n, a(n) for n = 1..40 (terms < 10^13; first 36 terms from T. D. Noe)
• Mathworld, Abundancy.
• Index entries for sequences where odd perfect numbers must occur, if they exist at all.

Crossrefs

Cf. A000203, A000396 (perfect numbers), A053624, A119239, A088012, A117349; A188263 and A188597 (the same but restricted to only abundant resp. deficient numbers).

Cf. also A088012, A228058, A228059.

Programs

Mathematica

minDiff=Infinity; k=-1; Table[k=k+2; While[abun=DivisorSigma[1,k]/k; Abs[2-abun] > minDiff, k=k+2]; minDiff=Abs[2-abun]; k, {15}] (* T. D. Noe, Jan 28 2010 *)

PARI

m=2; forstep(n=1,10^10,2, t=abs(sigma(n)/n - 2); if(tMax Alekseyev, Jan 26 2010

Extensions

Name improved by T. D. Noe, Jan 28 2010

More terms from Max Alekseyev, T. D. Noe and J. Mulder (jasper.mulder(AT)planet.nl), Jan 26 2010