English

On Congruences for Iterates of the Sum--Power Divisor Function and Conditional Implications for the Riemann Hypothesis

Number Theory 2025-12-29 v2

Abstract

Inspired by Cohen and te Riele~\cite{Cohen1996}, who computationally verified that for every n400n \leq 400 there exists kk such that σk(n)0(modn)\sigma^k(n) \equiv 0 \pmod{n} (where σk\sigma^k denotes the kk-fold iteration of the sum-of-divisors function), this paper resolves their reverse question negatively: no integer n>1n > 1 satisfies σk(n)0(modn)\sigma^k(n) \equiv 0 \pmod{n} for \emph{all} k1k \geq 1. The proof eliminates prior gaps via Lenstra's density-zero bounds σk(m)m/loglogm\sigma_k(m) \ll m / \log\log m combined with Robin's RH-equivalent criterion σ(n)<eγnloglogn+0.6483n/loglogn\sigma(n) < e^\gamma n \log\log n + 0.6483 n / \log\log n (n5041n \geq 5041), showing universal metaperfect divisibility implies RH-violating σ\sigma growth or low-lying zeta zeros near s=1s=1. Among multiperfect nn with prime L=lcm(1+ep:pn)L = \mathrm{lcm}(1+e_p : p \mid n), only n=6n=6 satisfies the congruence for all odd kk, with Shannon entropy H(σk(6)mod6)log2H(\sigma^k(6) \mod 6) \to \log 2 reflecting periodic order. We analyze bifurcation phenomena in the dynamics σk(n)modn\sigma^k(n) \mod n, where high-entropy chaotic residues for other nn mirror GUE statistics of zeta zeros (logT/2π\sim \log T / 2\pi near s=1/2s=1/2, >41%>41\% verified on critical line), contrasting the ordered n=6n=6 case. Zero rates near s=1s=1 (simple pole) and s=1/2s=1/2 bound iterated σ\sigma distributions, linking to RH via divisor sums and dynamical bifurcations; we conjecture n=6n=6 uniquely achieves odd-kk divisibility with small period dividing LL.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2102.09941,
  title  = {On Congruences for Iterates of the Sum--Power Divisor Function and Conditional Implications for the Riemann Hypothesis},
  author = {Zeraoulia Rafik and Pedro Caceres},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2102.09941},
  year   = {2025}
}

Comments

This revision strengthens results on congruences for iterates of the sum--power divisor function, proves the uniqueness of \(n=6\) in the prime--\(L\) multiperfect case, fills gaps in earlier proofs, and introduces an entropy-based dynamical study with conjectural links to Robin-type criteria and GUE statistics