cp's OEIS Frontend

Every number n is a product of a unique subset of these numbers. This is sometimes called the Fermi-Dirac factorization of n (see A182979). Proof: In the prime factorization n = Product_{j>=1} p(j)^e(j) expand every exponent e(j) as binary number and pick the terms of this sequence corresponding to the positions of the ones in binary (it is clear that both n and n^2 have the same number of factors in this sequence, and that each factor appears with exponent 1 or 0).

Or, a(1) = 2; for n>1, a(n) = smallest number which cannot be obtained as the product of previous terms. This is evident from the unique factorization theorem and the fact that every number can be expressed as the sum of powers of 2. - Amarnath Murthy, Jan 09 2002

Except for the first term, same as A084400. - David Wasserman, Dec 22 2004

The least number having 2^n divisors (=A037992(n)) is the product of the first n terms of this sequence according to Ramanujan.

According to the Bose-Einstein distribution of particles, an unlimited number of particles may occupy the same state. On the other hand, according to the Fermi-Dirac distribution, no two particles can occupy the same state (by the Pauli exclusion principle). Unique factorizations of the positive integers by primes (A000040) and over terms of A050376 one can compare with two these distributions in physics of particles. In the correspondence with this, the factorizations over primes one can call "Bose-Einstein factorizations", while the factorizations over distinct terms of A050376 one can call "Fermi-Dirac factorizations". - Vladimir Shevelev, Apr 16 2010

The numbers of the form p^(2^k), where p is prime and k >= 0, might thus be called the "Fermi-Dirac primes", while the classic primes might be called the "Bose-Einstein primes". - Daniel Forgues, Feb 11 2011

In the theory of infinitary divisors, the most natural name of the terms is "infinitary primes" or "i-primes". Indeed, n is in the sequence, if and only if it has only two infinitary divisors. Since 1 and n are always infinitary divisors of n>1, an i-prime has no other infinitary divisors. - Vladimir Shevelev, Feb 28 2011

{a(n)} is the minimal set including all primes and closed with respect to squaring. In connection with this, note that n and n^2 have the same number of factors in their Fermi-Dirac representations. - Vladimir Shevelev, Mar 16 2012

In connection with this sequence, call an integer compact if the factors in its Fermi-Dirac factorization are pairwise coprime. The density of such integers equals (6/Pi^2)*Product_{prime p} (1+(Sum_{i>=1} p^(-(2^i-1))/(p+1))) = 0.872497... It is interesting that there exist only 7 compact factorials listed in A169661. - Vladimir Shevelev, Mar 17 2012

The first k terms of the sequence solve the following optimization problem:

Let x_1, x_2,..., x_k be integers with the restrictions: 2<=x_1A064547(Product{i=1..k} x_i) >= k. Let the goal function be Product_{i=1..k} x_i. Then the minimal value of the goal function is Product_{i=1..k} a(i). - Vladimir Shevelev, Apr 01 2012

From Joerg Arndt, Mar 11 2013: (Start)

Similarly to the first comment, for the sequence "Numbers of the form p^(3^k) or p^(2*3^k) where p is prime and k >= 0" one obtains a factorization into distinct factors by using the ternary expansion of the exponents (here n and n^3 have the same number of such factors).

The generalization to base r would use "Numbers of the form p^(r^k), p^(2*r^k), p^(3*r^k), ..., p^((r-1)*r^k) where p is prime and k >= 0" (here n and n^r have the same number of (distinct) factors). (End)

The first appearance of this sequence as a multiplicative basis in number theory with some new notions, formulas and theorems may have been in my 1981 paper (see the Abramovich reference). - Vladimir Shevelev, Apr 27 2014

Numbers n for which A064547(n) = 1. - Antti Karttunen, Feb 10 2016

Lexicographically earliest sequence of distinct nonnegative integers such that no term is a product of 2 or more distinct terms. Removing the distinctness requirement, the sequence becomes A000040 (the prime numbers); and the equivalent sequence where the product is of 2 distinct terms is A026416 (without its initial term, 1). - Peter Munn, Mar 05 2019

The sequence was independently developed as a multiplicative number system in 1985-1986 (and first published in 1995, see the Uhlmann reference) using a proof method involving representations of positive integers as sums of powers of 2. This approach offers an arguably simpler and more flexible means for analyzing the sequence. - Jeffrey K. Uhlmann, Nov 09 2022

Numbers with exactly three factorizations: A001055(a(n)) = 3 (e.g., a(4) = 1*343 = 7*49 = 7*7*7). - Reinhard Zumkeller, Dec 29 2001

Intersection of A014612 and A000578. Intersection of A014612 and A030513. - Wesley Ivan Hurt, Sep 10 2013

Let r(n) = (a(n)-1)/(a(n)+1) if a(n) mod 4 = 1, (a(n)+1)/(a(n)-1) otherwise; then Product_{n>=1} r(n) = (9/7) * (28/26) * (124/126) * (344/342) * (1332/1330) * ... = 48/35. - Dimitris Valianatos, Mar 06 2020

There exist 5 groups of order p^3, when p prime, so this is a subsequence of A054397. Three of them are abelian: C_p^3, C_p^2 X C_p and C_p X C_p X C_p = (C_p)^3. For 8 = 2^3, the 2 nonabelian groups are D_8 and Q_8; for odd prime p, the 2 nonabelian groups are (C_p x C_p) : C_p, and C_p^2 : C_p (remark, for p = 2, these two semi-direct products are isomorphic to D_8). Here C, D, Q mean Cyclic, Dihedral, Quaternion groups of the stated order; the symbols X and : mean direct and semidirect products respectively. - Bernard Schott, Dec 11 2021

From Antti Karttunen, May 12 2017: (Start)

Restricted growth sequence transform of A046523, the least representative of each prime signature. Thus this partitions the natural numbers to the same equivalence classes as A046523, i.e., for all i, j: a(i) = a(j) <=> A046523(i) = A046523(j), and for that reason satisfies in that respect all the same conditions as A046523. For example, we have, for all i, j: if a(i) = a(j), then:

A000005(i) = A000005(j), A008683(i) = A008683(j), A286605(i) = A286605(j).

So, this sequence (instead of A046523) can be used for finding sequences where a(n)'s value is dependent only on the prime signature of n, that is, only on the multiset of prime exponents in the factorization of n. (End)

This is also the restricted growth sequence transform of many other sequences, for example, that of A181819. See further comments there. - Antti Karttunen, Apr 30 2022

16th powers of primes. The n-th number with p divisors is equal to the n-th prime raised to power p-1, where p is prime. - Omar E. Pol, May 06 2008

Product_{n >= 2, m_n = (a(n) mod 4) - 2} ((a(n) + 1) / (a(n) - 1))^m_n = 209865342976 / 209844223875. - Dimitris Valianatos, May 13 2020

Mathar's Table 1 (cited below) lists expansions of the prime zeta function at integers s in 10..39. - Jason Kimberley, Jan 07 2017

Numbers of the form p^8 (8th row of A120458) or p^2*r^2 (A085986), where p and r are distinct primes. - R. J. Mathar, Mar 01 2010

This sequence is a permutation of A050376, so every positive integer is the product of a unique subset, S_factors, of its terms. If we restrict S_factors to be chosen from a subset, S_0, consisting of numbers from specified rows and/or columns of this array, there are notable sequences among those that may be generated. See the examples. Other notable sequences can be generated if we restrict the intersection of S_factors with specific rows/columns to have even cardinality. In any of the foregoing cases, the numbers in the resulting sequence form a group under the binary operation A059897(.,.).

Shares with array A246278 the property that columns grow downward by iterating A003961, and indeed, this array can be obtained from A246278 by selecting its columns 1, 2, 8, 128, ..., 2^((2^k)-1), for k >= 0.

A(n,k) is the image of the lattice point with coordinates X=n and Y=k under the inverse of the bijection f defined in the first comment of A306697. This geometric relationship can be used to construct an isomorphism from the polynomial ring GF(2)[x,y] to a ring over the positive integers, using methods similar to those for constructing A297845 and A306697. See A329329, the ring's multiplicative operator, for details.