Triple Totient Quotient

Number Theory Level pending

What is the sum of all possible integer values of n ϕ ( ϕ ( ϕ ( n ) ) ) , \frac{n}{\phi(\phi(\phi(n)))}, where ϕ ( n ) \phi(n) is the Euler's totient function?

Details and assumptions

The Euler's totient function ϕ ( n ) \phi(n) is the number of positive integers less than or equal to n n that are coprime to n . n.


The answer is 205.

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1 solution

Calvin Lin Staff
May 13, 2014

This solution is wrong. I have not reviewed it as yet.


We will use a well known formula for ϕ ( n ) . \phi(n). If n = p 1 a 1 . . . p k a k , n=p_1^{a_1}\cdot...\cdot p_k^{a_k}, then ϕ ( n ) = ( p 1 1 ) p 1 a 1 1 . . . ( p k 1 ) p k a k 1 = n p 1 1 p 1 . . . p k 1 p k \phi (n)=(p_1-1)p_1^{a_1-1}\cdot ... \cdot (p_k-1)p_k^{a_k-1}=n\cdot \frac{p_1-1}{p_1}\cdot...\cdot \frac{p_k-1}{p_k}

If n = 2 a , n=2^a, a 1 , a\geq 1, then the ϕ ( n ) = 2 a 1 . \phi(n)=2^{a-1}. So n ϕ ( ϕ ( ϕ ( n ) ) ) \frac{n}{\phi(\phi(\phi(n)))} can be 8 8 (if a 3 a\geq 3 ), 4 , 4, 2 , 2, or 1. 1.

For n = p 1 a 1 . . . p k a k , n=p_1^{a_1}\cdot...\cdot p_k^{a_k}, we denote the order a i a_i of p i p_i in n n by o r d p i n . ord_{p_i}n.

Note that for every odd prime p i p_i the number p i 1 p_i-1 is even. So o r d 2 ( ϕ ( n ) ) o r d 2 n 1 + # ( o d d p r i m e f a c t o r s o f n ) ord_2(\phi(n))\geq ord_2 n - 1 + \#(odd\ prime\ factors\ of\ n)

If n n is divisible by four or more distinct odd primes, o r d 2 ϕ ( n ) o r d 2 n + 3. ord_2\phi(n)\geq ord_2 n +3. So o r d 2 ϕ ( ϕ ( ϕ ( n ) ) ) o r d 2 ϕ ( ϕ ( n ) ) 1 o r d 2 ϕ ( n ) 2 o r d 2 n + 1 ord_2 \phi(\phi(\phi(n)))\geq ord_2 \phi(\phi(n))-1 \geq ord_2 \phi(n) -2 \geq ord_2 n +1 Thus, for n ϕ ( ϕ ( ϕ ( n ) ) ) \frac{n}{\phi(\phi(\phi(n)))} to be integer, the number of odd primes in n n is at most 3 3 . Moreover, if n n has three odd prime factors, then all the above inequality must be equalities. In particular, ϕ ( n ) \phi(n) must be a power of 2. 2. So all odd prime factors of n n are of the form 2 i + 1 2^i+1 for some i \ i . Since the prime factors are distinct, o r d 2 ϕ ( n ) o r d 2 ( n ) 1 + 2 + 3 , ord_2\phi(n)-ord_2(n)\geq 1+2+3, so again we get a contradiction.

Suppose n = 2 a p b q c , n=2^ap^bq^c, where p < q p<q are odd primes and b b and c c are positive. The same argument as above shows that o r d 2 ( p 1 ) + o r d 2 ( q 1 ) 3. ord_2(p-1)+ord_2(q-1)\leq 3. Also if o r d 2 ( p 1 ) + o r d 2 ( q 1 ) = 3 , ord_2(p-1)+ord_2(q-1)=3, then ϕ ( n ) \phi(n) must be a power of 2. 2. So in this sub-case we must have n = 2 a 3 5 , n=2^a\cdot 3\cdot 5, with a 1 , a\geq 1, and the ratio is 15 15 . If o r d 2 ( p 1 ) + o r d 2 ( q 1 ) = 2 , ord_2(p-1)+ord_2(q-1)=2, then p q 3 ( m o d 4 ) . p\equiv q\equiv 3 \pmod 4. We will prove that in this case ϕ ( n ) \phi(n) can only be of the form 2 i , 2^i, or 2 i 3. 2^i\cdot 3. Indeed, otherwise o r d 2 ϕ ( ϕ ( ϕ ( n ) ) ) o r d 2 ϕ ( n ) , ord_2\phi(\phi(\phi(n)))\geq ord_2\phi(n), because an other odd factor of ϕ ( n ) \phi(n) will either create an odd prime factor for ϕ ( ϕ ( n ) ) \phi(\phi(n)) or extra power of 2 2 in ϕ ( ϕ ( n ) ) \phi(\phi(n)) . Clearly, the only possible case here is n = 2 a 3 b 7 , n=2^a\cdot 3^b \cdot 7, which gives the ratio of 21 21 .

Now suppose that n = 2 a p b , n=2^a\cdot p^b, where p p is an odd prime. First of all, if b 2 , b\geq 2, then the prime p p must be 3 3 . In this case b b can be anything, and we get ratio 27 27 if b 3 b \geq 3 and 18 18 or 9 , 9, depending on a , a, if b = 2. b=2.

Suppose now that b = 1 b=1 . If ϕ ( n ) \phi(n) is a power of 2 , 2, then p 1 p-1 can only be 2 , 4 , 8 , 2,4,8, thus p = 3 p=3 or p = 5. p=5. These give ratios 12 , 12, 6 , 6, 3 ; 3; 10 10 and 5 5 (depending on a a ). If ϕ ( n ) \phi(n) is not a power of 2 2 then, clearly, it can only be of the form 2 a 3 , 2^a\cdot 3, 2 a 3 2 , 2^a\cdot 3^2, or 2 a 5. 2^a\cdot 5. This means that p p can only be 7 , 7, 11 11 and 13 13 . This gives ratios 14 , 14, 7 , 7, 11 , 11, and 13 13 .

Putting it all together, the possible integer ratios are 8 , 4 , 2 , 1 , 15 , 21 , 27 , 18 , 9 , 12 , 6 , 3 , 10 , 5 , 14 , 7 , 11 , 13. 8,4,2,1,15,21,27,18,9,12,6,3,10,5,14,7,11,13. They add up to ( 1 + 2 + . . . + 15 ) + 18 + 21 + 27 = 171 (1+2+...+15)+18+21+27=171

Another possible value is for n = 76 n=76 , n ϕ ( ϕ ( ϕ ( n ) ) ) = 19 \frac{n}{\phi(\phi(\phi(n)))} = 19 . I am getting a sum of 205.

Maria Kozlowska - 4 years, 5 months ago

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Thanks. I have updated the answer to 205.

Calvin Lin Staff - 4 years, 4 months ago

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