English

Iterating sum of power divisor function and New equivalence to the Riemann hypothesis

General Mathematics 2025-12-30 v2

Abstract

This paper investigates the dynamics of the iterated sum-of-divisors function σk(m)\sigma_k(m) and its behaviour modulo mm, motivated by classical questions on perfect and multiperfect numbers and by the congruences σk(m)0(modm)\sigma_k(m) \equiv 0 \pmod m. Perfect and multiperfect numbers remain extremely rare; odd perfect numbers are still unknown and must be astronomically large. Here, the emphasis is on the dynamical and statistical structure of the iterates rather than on isolated examples. Three main results are obtained. First, it is proved that no integer m>1m>1 can satisfy σk(m)0(modm)\sigma_k(m) \equiv 0 \pmod m for all k0k \ge 0, thereby ruling out the existence of "metaperfect" numbers and showing that the iteration of σ\sigma cannot remain permanently trapped in the residue class 00 modulo mm. Second, for certain explicit integers such as m=6,12,24m=6,12,24, the sequence σk(m)modm\sigma_k(m) \bmod m is strictly periodic with small period dividing L=lcm(ei+1)L=\mathrm{lcm}(e_i+1), where the eie_i are the prime exponents of mm. Bifurcation plots and distributional analysis reveal a transition from rigid two-cycle structure to more complex residue dynamics as mm increases. Third, a new equivalence with the Riemann Hypothesis is established: RH holds if and only if, for every even non-squarefree m5041m \ge 5041 containing a prime fifth power, σk(m)σk1(m)loglogσk1(m)eγ, \frac{\sigma_k(m)}{\sigma_{k-1}(m)\log\log\sigma_{k-1}(m)} \le e^\gamma, and the sequence σk(m)modm\sigma_k(m) \bmod m is eventually periodic, uniformly in k0k \ge 0. Extensive computations support these periodicity phenomena, yield non-normal discrete distribution models for the residues, and suggest a connection with a newly proposed Schrodinger-type "Caceres" operator whose spectrum numerically reproduces key statistical features of the nontrivial zeros of the Riemann zeta function.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2209.13010,
  title  = {Iterating sum of power divisor function and New equivalence to the Riemann hypothesis},
  author = {Pedro Caceres and Zeraoulia Rafik},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2209.13010},
  year   = {2025}
}

Comments

We thank Pedro Caceres for his contribution and the arXiv administrators; the English, overlap, and bounds with a new chaotic spectral approach are improved