cp's OEIS Frontend

Numbers of the form p*q where p and q are primes, not necessarily distinct.

These numbers are sometimes called semiprimes or 2-almost primes.

Numbers n such that Omega(n) = 2 where Omega(n) = A001222(n) is the sum of the exponents in the prime decomposition of n.

Complement of A100959; A064911(a(n)) = 1. - Reinhard Zumkeller, Nov 22 2004

The graph of this sequence appears to be a straight line with slope 4. However, the asymptotic formula shows that the linearity is an illusion and in fact a(n)/n ~ log(n)/log(log(n)) goes to infinity. See also the graph of A066265 = number of semiprimes < 10^n.

For numbers between 33 and 15495, semiprimes are more plentiful than any other k-almost prime. See A125149.

Numbers that are divisible by exactly 2 prime powers (not including 1). - Jason Kimberley, Oct 02 2011

The (disjoint) union of A006881 and A001248. - Jason Kimberley, Nov 11 2015

An equivalent definition of this sequence is a'(n) = smallest composite number which is not divided by any smaller composite number a'(1),...,a'(n-1). - Meir-Simchah Panzer, Jun 22 2016

The above characterization can be simplified to "Composite numbers not divisible by a smaller term." This shows that this is the equivalent of primes computed via Eratosthenes's sieve, but starting with the set of composite numbers (i.e., complement of 1 union primes) instead of all positive integers > 1. It's easy to see that iterating the method (using Eratosthenes's sieve each time on the remaining numbers, complement of the previously computed set) yields numbers with bigomega = k for k = 0, 1, 2, 3, ..., i.e., {1}, A000040, this, A014612, etc. - M. F. Hasler, Apr 24 2019

For all n except n = 2, a(n) is a deficient number. - Amrit Awasthi, Sep 10 2024

It is reasonable to assume that the "comforting numbers" which John T. Williams found in Chapter 3 of Milne's book "The House at Pooh Corner" are these semiprimes. Winnie-the-Pooh wonders whether he has 14 or 15 honey pots and concludes: "It's sort of comforting." To arrange a semiprime number of honey pots in a rectangular way, let's say on a shelf, with the larger divisor parallel to the wall, there is only one solution and this is for a simple mind like Winnie-the-Pooh comforting. - Ruediger Jehn, Dec 12 2024

Can be extended to negative numbers by defining a(-n) = -a(n).

Based on the product rule for differentiation of functions: for functions f(x) and g(x), (fg)' = f'g + fg'. So with numbers, (ab)' = a'b + ab'. This implies 1' = 0. - Kerry Mitchell, Mar 18 2004

The derivative of a number x with respect to a prime number p as being the number "dx/dp" = (x-x^p)/p, which is an integer due to Fermat's little theorem. - Alexandru Buium, Mar 18 2004

The relation (ab)' = a'b + ab' implies 1' = 0, but it does not imply p' = 1 for p a prime. In fact, any function f defined on the primes can be extended uniquely to a function on the integers satisfying this relation: f(Product_i p_i^e_i) = (Product_i p_i^e_i) * (Sum_i e_i*f(p_i)/p_i). - Franklin T. Adams-Watters, Nov 07 2006

See A131116 and A131117 for record values and where they occur. - Reinhard Zumkeller, Jun 17 2007

Let n be the product of a multiset P of k primes. Consider the k-dimensional box whose edges are the elements of P. Then the (k-1)-dimensional surface of this box is 2*a(n). For example, 2*a(25) = 20, the perimeter of a 5 X 5 square. Similarly, 2*a(18) = 42, the surface area of a 2 X 3 X 3 box. - David W. Wilson, Mar 11 2011

The arithmetic derivative n' was introduced, probably for the first time, by the Spanish mathematician José Mingot Shelly in June 1911 with "Una cuestión de la teoría de los números", work presented at the "Tercer Congreso Nacional para el Progreso de las Ciencias, Granada", cf. link to the abstract on Zentralblatt MATH, and L. E. Dickson, History of the Theory of Numbers. - Giorgio Balzarotti, Oct 19 2013

a(A235991(n)) odd; a(A235992(n)) even. - Reinhard Zumkeller, Mar 11 2014

Sequence A157037 lists numbers with prime arithmetic derivative, i.e., indices of primes in this sequence. - M. F. Hasler, Apr 07 2015

Maybe the simplest "natural extension" of the arithmetic derivative, in the spirit of the above remark by Franklin T. Adams-Watters (2006), is the "pi based" version where f(p) = primepi(p), see sequence A258851. When f is chosen to be the identity map (on primes), one gets A066959. - M. F. Hasler, Jul 13 2015

When n is composite, it appears that a(n) has lower bound 2*sqrt(n), with equality when n is the square of a prime, and a(n) has upper bound (n/2)*log_2(n), with equality when n is a power of 2. - Daniel Forgues, Jun 22 2016

If n = p1*p2*p3*... where p1, p2, p3, ... are all the prime factors of n (not necessarily distinct), and h is a real number (we assume h nonnegative and < 1), the arithmetic derivative of n is equivalent to n' = lim_{h->0} ((p1+h)*(p2+h)*(p3+h)*... - (p1*p2*p3*...))/h. It also follows that the arithmetic derivative of a prime is 1. We could assume h = 1/N, where N is an integer; then the limit becomes {N -> oo}. Note that n = 1 is not a prime and plays the role of constant. - Giorgio Balzarotti, May 01 2023

Also total number of parts in all partitions of n into equal parts that do not contain 1 as a part. - Omar E. Pol, Jan 16 2013

Related concepts: If a(n) < n, n is said to be deficient, if a(n) > n, n is abundant, and if a(n) = n, n is perfect. If there is a cycle of length 2, so that a(n) = b and a(b) = n, b and n are said to be amicable. If there is a longer cycle, the numbers in the cycle are said to be sociable. See examples. - Juhani Heino, Jul 17 2017

Sum of the smallest parts in the partitions of n into two parts such that the smallest part divides the largest. - Wesley Ivan Hurt, Dec 22 2017

a(n) is also the total number of parts congruent to 0 mod k in the partitions of k*n into equal parts that do not contain k as a part (the comment dated Jan 16 2013 is the case for k = 1). - Omar E. Pol, Nov 23 2019

Fixed points are in A000396. - Alois P. Heinz, Mar 10 2024

If the canonical factorization of n into prime powers is the product of p^e(p) then sigma_k(n) = Product_p ((p^((e(p)+1)*k))-1)/(p^k-1).

sigma_2(n) is the sum of the squares of the divisors of n.

Sum_{d|n} 1/d^k is equal to sigma_k(n)/n^k. So sequences A017665-A017712 also give the numerators and denominators of sigma_k(n)/n^k for k = 1..24. The power sums sigma_k(n) are in sequences A000203 (k=1), A001157-A001160 (k=2,3,4,5), A013954-A013972 for k = 6,7,...,24. - Ahmed Fares (ahmedfares(AT)my-deja.com), Apr 05 2001.

Row sums of triangles A134575 and A134559. - Gary W. Adamson, Nov 02 2007

Also sum of square divisors of n^2. - Michel Marcus, Jan 14 2014

Conjecture: For each k = 2,3,..., all the rational numbers sigma_k(n)/n^k = Sum_{d|n} 1/d^k (n = 1,2,3,...) have pairwise distinct fractional parts. - Zhi-Wei Sun, Oct 15 2015

5 is the only prime entry in the sequence. - Drake Thomas, Dec 18 2016

4*a(n) = sum of squares of even divisors of 2*n. - Wolfdieter Lang, Jan 07 2017

With an initial 1 added, this is the complement of the closure of {2} under a*b+1 and a*b-1. - Franklin T. Adams-Watters, Jan 11 2006

Also the square root of the product of twin prime pairs + 1. Two consecutive odd numbers can be written as 2k+1,2k+3. Then (2k+1)(2k+3)+1 = 4(k^2+2k+1) = 4(k+1)^2, a perfect square. Since twin prime pairs are two consecutive odd numbers, the statement is true for all twin prime pairs. - Cino Hilliard, May 03 2006

Or, single (or isolated) composites. Nonprimes k such that neither k-1 nor k+1 is nonprime. - Juri-Stepan Gerasimov, Aug 11 2009

Numbers n such that sigma(n-1) = phi(n+1). - Farideh Firoozbakht, Jul 04 2010

Aside from the first term in the sequence, all remaining terms have digital root 3, 6, or 9. - J. W. Helkenberg, Jul 24 2013

Numbers n such that n^2-1 is a semiprime. - Thomas Ordowski, Sep 24 2015

Every term but the first is a multiple of 6. - Harvey P. Dale, Mar 31 2023

Number of n-step non-selfintersecting paths starting at (0,0) with steps of types (1,0), (-1,0) or (0,1) [Stanley].

Number of n steps one-sided prudent walks with east, west and north steps. - Shanzhen Gao, Apr 26 2011

Number of ternary strings of length n-1 with subwords (0,2) and (2,0) not allowed. - Olivier Gérard, Aug 28 2012

Number of symmetric 2n X 2 or (2n-1) X 2 crossword puzzle grids: all white squares are edge connected; at least 1 white square on every edge of grid; 180-degree rotational symmetry. - Erich Friedman

a(n+1) is the number of ways to put molecules on a 2 X n ladder lattice so that the molecules do not touch each other.

In other words, a(n+1) is the number of independent vertex sets and vertex covers in the n-ladder graph P_2 X P_n. - Eric W. Weisstein, Apr 04 2017

Number of (n-1) X 2 binary arrays with a path of adjacent 1's from top row to bottom row, see A359576. - R. H. Hardin, Mar 16 2002

a(2*n+1) with b(2*n+1) := A000129(2*n+1), n >= 0, give all (positive integer) solutions to Pell equation a^2 - 2*b^2 = -1.

a(2*n) with b(2*n) := A000129(2*n), n >= 1, give all (positive integer) solutions to Pell equation a^2 - 2*b^2 = +1 (see Emerson reference).

Bisection: a(2*n) = T(n,3) = A001541(n), n >= 0 and a(2*n+1) = S(2*n,2*sqrt(2)) = A002315(n), n >= 0, with T(n,x), resp. S(n,x), Chebyshev's polynomials of the first, resp. second kind. See A053120, resp. A049310.

Binomial transform of A077957. - Paul Barry, Feb 25 2003

For n > 0, the number of (s(0), s(1), ..., s(n)) such that 0 < s(i) < 4 and |s(i) - s(i-1)| <= 1 for i = 1,2,...,n, s(0) = 2, s(n) = 2. - Herbert Kociemba, Jun 02 2004

For n > 1, a(n) corresponds to the longer side of a near right-angled isosceles triangle, one of the equal sides being A000129(n). - Lekraj Beedassy, Aug 06 2004

Exponents of terms in the series F(x,1), where F is determined by the equation F(x,y) = xy + F(x^2*y,x). - Jonathan Sondow, Dec 18 2004

Number of n-words from the alphabet A={0,1,2} which two neighbors differ by at most 1. - Fung Cheok Yin (cheokyin_restart(AT)yahoo.com.hk), Aug 30 2006

Consider the mapping f(a/b) = (a + 2b)/(a + b). Taking a = b = 1 to start with and carrying out this mapping repeatedly on each new (reduced) rational number gives the following sequence 1/1, 3/2, 7/5, 17/12, 41/29, ... converging to 2^(1/2). Sequence contains the numerators. - Amarnath Murthy, Mar 22 2003 [Amended by Paul E. Black (paul.black(AT)nist.gov), Dec 18 2006]

Odd-indexed prime numerators are prime RMS numbers (A140480) and also NSW primes (A088165). - Ctibor O. Zizka, Aug 13 2008

The intermediate convergents to 2^(1/2) begin with 4/3, 10/7, 24/17, 58/41; essentially, numerators=A052542 and denominators here. - Clark Kimberling, Aug 26 2008

Equals right border of triangle A143966. Starting (1, 3, 7, ...) equals INVERT transform of (1, 2, 2, 2, ...) and row sums of triangle A143966. - Gary W. Adamson, Sep 06 2008

Inverse binomial transform of A006012; Hankel transform is := [1, 2, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, ...]. - Philippe Deléham, Dec 04 2008

From Charlie Marion, Jan 07 2009: (Start)

In general, denominators, a(k,n) and numerators, b(k,n), of continued fraction convergents to sqrt((k+1)/k) may be found as follows:

let a(k,0) = 1, a(k,1) = 2k; for n>0, a(k,2n) = 2*a(k,2n-1) + a(k,2n-2) and a(k,2n+1) = (2k)*a(k,2n) + a(k,2n-1);

let b(k,0) = 1, b(k,1) = 2k+1; for n>0, b(k,2n) = 2*b(k,2n-1) + b(k,2n-2) and b(k,2n+1) = (2k)*b(k,2n) + b(k,2n-1).

For example, the convergents to sqrt(2/1) start 1/1, 3/2, 7/5, 17/12, 41/29.

In general, if a(k,n) and b(k,n) are the denominators and numerators, respectively, of continued fraction convergents to sqrt((k+1)/k) as defined above, then

k*a(k,2n)^2 - a(k,2n-1)*a(k,2n+1) = k = k*a(k,2n-2)*a(k,2n) - a(k,2n-1)^2 and

b(k,2n-1)*b(k,2n+1) - k*b(k,2n)^2 = k+1 = b(k,2n-1)^2 - k*b(k,2n-2)*b(k,2n);

for example, if k=1 and n=3, then b(1,n)=a(n+1) and

1*a(1,6)^2 - a(1,5)*a(1,7) = 1*169^2 - 70*408 = 1;

1*a(1,4)*a(1,6) - a(1,5)^2 = 1*29*169 - 70^2 = 1;

b(1,5)*b(1,7) - 1*b(1,6)^2 = 99*577 - 1*239^2 = 2;

b(1,5)^2 - 1*b(1,4)*b(1,6) = 99^2 - 1*41*239 = 2.

Cf. A000129, A142238-A142239, A153313-A153318.

(End)

This sequence occurs in the lower bound of the order of the set of equivalent resistances of n equal resistors combined in series and in parallel (A048211). - Sameen Ahmed Khan, Jun 28 2010

Let M = a triangle with the Fibonacci series in each column, but the leftmost column is shifted upwards one row. A001333 = lim_{n->infinity} M^n, the left-shifted vector considered as a sequence. - Gary W. Adamson, Jul 27 2010

a(n) is the number of compositions of n when there are 1 type of 1 and 2 types of other natural numbers. - Milan Janjic, Aug 13 2010

Equals the INVERTi transform of A055099. - Gary W. Adamson, Aug 14 2010

From L. Edson Jeffery, Apr 04 2011: (Start)

Let U be the unit-primitive matrix (see [Jeffery])

U = U_(8,2) = (0 0 1 0)

(0 1 0 1)

(1 0 2 0)

(0 2 0 1).

Then a(n) = (1/4)*Trace(U^n). (See also A084130, A006012.)

(End)

For n >= 1, row sums of triangle

m/k.|..0.....1.....2.....3.....4.....5.....6.....7

==================================================

.0..|..1

.1..|..1.....2

.2..|..1.....2.....4

.3..|..1.....4.....4.....8

.4..|..1.....4....12.....8....16

.5..|..1.....6....12....32....16....32

.6..|..1.....6....24....32....80....32....64

.7..|..1.....8....24....80....80...192....64...128

which is the triangle for numbers 2^k*C(m,k) with duplicated diagonals. - Vladimir Shevelev, Apr 12 2012

a(n) is also the number of ways to place k non-attacking wazirs on a 2 X n board, summed over all k >= 0 (a wazir is a leaper [0,1]). - Vaclav Kotesovec, May 08 2012

The sequences a(n) and b(n) := A000129(n) are entries of powers of the special case of the Brahmagupta Matrix - for details see Suryanarayan's paper. Further, as Suryanarayan remark, if we set A = 2*(a(n) + b(n))*b(n), B = a(n)*(a(n) + 2*b(n)), C = a(n)^2 + 2*a(n)*b(n) + 2*b(n)^2 we obtain integral solutions of the Pythagorean relation A^2 + B^2 = C^2, where A and B are consecutive integers. - Roman Witula, Jul 28 2012

Pisano period lengths: 1, 1, 8, 4, 12, 8, 6, 4, 24, 12, 24, 8, 28, 6, 24, 8, 16, 24, 40, 12, .... - R. J. Mathar, Aug 10 2012

This sequence and A000129 give the diagonal numbers described by Theon of Smyrna. - Sture Sjöstedt, Oct 20 2012

a(n) is the top left entry of the n-th power of any of the following six 3 X 3 binary matrices: [1, 1, 1; 1, 1, 1; 1, 0, 0] or [1, 1, 1; 1, 1, 0; 1, 1, 0] or [1, 1, 1; 1, 0, 1; 1, 1, 0] or [1, 1, 1; 1, 1, 0; 1, 0, 1] or [1, 1, 1; 1, 0, 1; 1, 0, 1] or [1, 1, 1; 1, 0, 0; 1, 1, 1]. - R. J. Mathar, Feb 03 2014

If p is prime, a(p) == 1 (mod p) (compare with similar comment for A000032). - Creighton Dement, Oct 11 2005, modified by Davide Colazingari, Jun 26 2016

a(n) = A000129(n) + A000129(n-1), where A000129(n) is the n-th Pell Number; e.g., a(6) = 99 = A000129(6) + A000129(5) = 70 + 29. Hence the sequence of fractions has the form 1 + A000129(n-1)/A000129(n), and the ratio A000129(n-1)/A000129(n)converges to sqrt(2) - 1. - Gregory L. Simay, Nov 30 2018

For n > 0, a(n+1) is the length of tau^n(1) where tau is the morphism: 1 -> 101, 0 -> 1. See Song and Wu. - Michel Marcus, Jul 21 2020

For n > 0, a(n) is the number of nonisomorphic quasitrivial semigroups with n elements, see Devillet, Marichal, Teheux. A292932 is the number of labeled quasitrivial semigroups. - Peter Jipsen, Mar 28 2021

a(n) is the permanent of the n X n tridiagonal matrix defined in A332602. - Stefano Spezia, Apr 12 2022

From Greg Dresden, May 08 2023: (Start)

For n >= 2, 4*a(n) is the number of ways to tile this T-shaped figure of length n-1 with two colors of squares and one color of domino; shown here is the figure of length 5 (corresponding to n=6), and it has 4*a(6) = 396 different tilings.

_

|| _

|||_|||

|_|

(End)

12*a(n) = number of walks of length n in the cyclic Kautz digraph CK(3,4). - Miquel A. Fiol, Feb 15 2024

Arithmetic derivative (see A003415) of prime(n)*prime(n+1). - Giorgio Balzarotti, May 26 2011

A008472(a(n)) = A191583(n). - Reinhard Zumkeller, Jun 28 2011

With the exception of the first term, all terms are even. a(n) is divisible by 4 if the difference between prime(n) and prime(n + 1) is not divisible by 4; e.g., prime(n) = 1 mod 4 and prime(n + 1) = 3 mod 4. In general, for a(n) to be divisible by some even number m > 2 requires that prime(n + 1) - prime(n) not be a multiple of m. - Alonso del Arte, Jan 30 2012

If the canonical factorization of n into prime powers is the product of p^e(p) then sigma_k(n) = Product_p ((p^((e(p)+1)*k))-1)/(p^k-1).

Sum_{d|n} 1/d^k is equal to sigma_k(n)/n^k. So sequences A017665-A017712 also give the numerators and denominators of sigma_k(n)/n^k for k = 1..24. The power sums sigma_k(n) are in sequences A000203 (k=1), A001157-A001160 (k=2,3,4,5), A013954-A013972 for k = 6..24. - Ahmed Fares (ahmedfares(AT)my-deja.com), Apr 05 2001

Also the eigenvalues of the Hecke operator T_n for the entire modular normalized Eisenstein form E_4(z) (see A004009): T_n E_4 = a(n) E_4, n >= 1. For the Hecke operator T_n and eigenforms see, e.g., the Koecher-Krieg reference, p. 207, eq. (5) and p. 211, section 4, or the Apostol reference p. 120, eq. (13) and pp. 129 - 133. - Wolfdieter Lang, Jan 28 2016

a(n+3) is the number of n-bit sequences that avoid 010. Example: For n=4 the 12 sequences are all 4-bit sequences except 0100, 0101, 0010, 1010. - David Callan, Mar 25 2004

a(n+2) is the number of compositions (ordered partitions) of n where no two adjacent parts are != 1, see example. - Joerg Arndt, Jan 26 2013

a(n+1) is the number of compositions of n avoiding the part 2. - Joerg Arndt, Jul 13 2014

Number of different positive braids with n crossings of 3 strands.

This is a_2(n) in the Doroslovacki reference. Note that there is a typo in the paper in the formula for a_2(n): the upper bound in the inner sum should be "n-i" not "i-1". - Max Alekseyev, Jun 26 2007

a(n) is the number of peakless Motzkin paths of length n-1 with no UHH...HD's starting at level > 0 (here n > 0 and U=(1,1), H=(1,0), D=(1,-1)). Example: a(5)=7 because from all 8 peakless Motzkin paths of length 5 (see A004148) only UUHDD does not qualify. - Emeric Deutsch, Sep 13 2004

Equals the INVERT transform of (1, 0, 1, 1, 1, ...); equivalent to a(n) = a(n-1) + a(n-3) + a(n-4) + ... - Gary W. Adamson, Apr 27 2009

a(n) is the number of length n-1 words on {0,1} such that each string of 1's is followed by a string of at least two 0's. For example, a(5) = 4 because we have: 0000, 0100, 1000, and 1100. - Geoffrey Critzer, Aug 09 2013

a(n+1) is the top left entry of the n-th power of any of the 3 X 3 matrices [1, 1, 0; 0, 1, 1; 1, 0, 0] or [1, 0, 1; 1, 1, 0; 0, 1, 0] or [1, 1, 0; 0, 0, 1; 1, 0, 1] or [1, 0, 1; 1, 0, 0; 0, 1, 1]. - R. J. Mathar, Feb 03 2014

For n >= 2, a(n) is the number of (n-2)-length binary words with no isolated zeros. - Milan Janjic, Mar 07 2015

Apart from the first three terms, the total number of bargraphs of semiperimeter n of height at most two for n >= 2 starts 1, 2, 4, 7, 12, ... - Arnold Knopfmacher, Nov 02 2016

Number of DD-equivalence classes of Łukasiewicz paths. Łukasiewicz paths are DD-equivalent iff the positions of pattern DD are identical in these paths. - Sergey Kirgizov, Apr 08 2018

From Gus Wiseman, Nov 25 2019: (Start)

For n > 0, also the number of subsets of {1, ..., n - 3} such that if x and x + 2 are both in the subset, then so is x + 1. For example, the a(3) = 1 through a(7) = 12 subsets are:

{} {} {} {} {}

{1} {1} {1} {1}

{2} {2} {2}

{1,2} {3} {3}

{1,2} {4}

{2,3} {1,2}

{1,2,3} {1,4}

{2,3}

{3,4}

{1,2,3}

{2,3,4}

{1,2,3,4}

(End)

The two-dimensional version, which counts sets of pairs where, if two pairs are separated by graph-distance 2, then the intermediate pair or pairs are also in the set, is A329871. - Gus Wiseman, Nov 30 2019

a(n+1) is the number of ways to tile a strip of length n with squares, dominoes, and tetrominoes, where the first tile cannot be a domino. - Greg Dresden and Myanna Nash, Aug 18 2020