The Repeated Divisor Function and Possible Correlation with Highly Composite Numbers

We determine asymptotically the maximal order of log d(d(n)), where d(n) is the number of positive divisors of n. This solves a problem first put forth by Ramanujan in 1915.

In this paper, we introduce and study the iterates of the following family of functions $\varphi_k$ defined on natural numbers which exhibits nice properties. $$\varphi_k(x)=\left\lbrace \begin{array}{ll} x+k, & \mbox{ if $x$ is prime;}\\ \mbox{largest prime divisor of $x$,} & \mbox{ if $x$ is composite;} \end{array} \right.$$ In particular, we study the periodic behaviour of the trajectories of these iterated functions. In some cases, we provide proofs of these properties an...

We show that if $N\pm 1=M\varphi(N)$ with $N\neq 15, 255$ composite, then $M<15.76515\log\log\log N$ and $M<16.03235\log\log\omega(N)$, together with similar results for the unitary totient function, Dedekind function, and the sum of unitary divisors.

We establish new upper bounds for the length of runs of consecutive positive integers each with exactly $k$ divisors, where $k$ is a given positive integer of some special forms. Also we have found exact values of the maximum possible runs for some fixed values of $k$. In addition, we exhibit the run of 11 consecutive positive integers each with exactly 36 divisors, the run of 13 consecutive positive integers each with exactly 12 divisors, the run of 17 consecutive positive i...

Certain analytical expressions which "feel" the divisors of natural numbers are investigated. We show that these expressions encode to some extent the well-known algorithm of the sieve of Eratosthenes. Most part of the text is written in pedagogical style, however some formulas are new.

We investigate the analogues, in $\mathbb{F}_q[t]$, of highly composite numbers and the maximum order of the divisor function, as studied by Ramanujan. In particular, we determine a family of highly composite polynomials which is not too sparse, and we use it to compute the logarithm of the maximum of the divisor function at every degree up to an error of a constant, which is significantly smaller than in the case of the integers, even assuming the Riemann Hypothesis.

Let $\sigma(n)$ be the sum of the positive divisors of $n$. A number $n$ is said to be 2-near perfect if $\sigma(n) = 2n +d_1 +d_2 $, where $d_1$ and $d_2$ are distinct positive divisors of $n$. We give a complete description of those $n$ which are 2-near perfect and of the form $n=2^k p^i$ where $p$ is prime and $i \in \{1,2\}$. We also prove related results under the additional restriction where $d_1d_2=n$.

In this paper one constructs a function $\eta$ with the property that if $n$ is non-null then $\eta(n)$ is the smallest integer such that $\eta(n)!$ is divisible by $n$. In order to calculate it one considers, for each prime $p$, the associated function $\eta_{p}(n)$ in a power base.

We say that $d$ is an exponential unitary divisor of $n=p_1^{a_1}... p_r^{a_r}>1$ if $d=p_1^{b_1}... p_r^{b_r}$, where $b_i$ is a unitary divisor of $a_i$, i.e., $b_i\mid a_i$ and $(b_i,a_i/b_i)=1$ for every $i\in \{1,2,...,r\}$. We survey properties of related arithmetical functions and introduce the notion of exponential unitary perfect numbers.

Iannucci considered the positive divisors of a natural number $n$ that do not exceed $\sqrt{n}$ and found all forms of numbers whose such divisors are in arithmetic progression. In this paper, we generalize Iannucci's result by excluding the trivial divisors $1$ and $\sqrt{n}$ (when $n$ is a square). Surprisingly, the length of our arithmetic progression cannot exceed $5$.