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Related papers: On Egyptian fractions

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An Egyptian fraction is a sum of the form $1/n_1 + \cdots + 1/n_r$ where $n_1, \dots, n_k$ are distinct positive integers. We prove explicit lower bounds for the cardinality of the set $E_N$ of rational numbers that can be represented by…

Number Theory · Mathematics 2025-09-15 Sandro Bettin , Loïc Grenié , Giuseppe Molteni , Carlo Sanna

In number theory, the Erdos-Straus conjecture states that for all n >=2, the rational number 4/n can be expressed as the sum of three unit fractions. Paul Erdos and Ernst G. Straus formulated the conjecture in 1948. The restriction that the…

History and Overview · Mathematics 2019-01-01 Dagnachew Jenber Negash

The Erdos-Straus conjecture (ESC) concerns the representation of the fraction 4/P, where P is a prime number, as a sum of three positive unit fractions. The focus here is on the case when P is congruent to 1 modulo 4. Two constructive…

Number Theory · Mathematics 2025-11-12 E. Dyachenko

This paper is a preliminary expository paper that outlines the relationship between solutions to the Erd\H{o}s-Straus conjecture for a given prime $p$ and their corresponding Pythagorean triples. This paper also uses B\'{e}zout Coefficients…

Number Theory · Mathematics 2021-07-13 Kyle Bradford

We study solutions to the Egyptian fractions equation with the prime factors of the denominators constrained to lie in a fixed set of primes. We evaluate the effectiveness of the greedy algorithm in establishing bounds on such solutions.…

Number Theory · Mathematics 2025-07-08 Agustina Czenky , Emily McGovern , Julia Plavnik , Eric Rowell , Abigail Watkins

We consider incomplete exponential sums in several variables of the form S(f,n,m) = \frac{1}{2^n} \sum_{x_1 \in \{-1,1\}} ... \sum_{x_n \in \{-1,1\}} x_1 ... x_n e^{2\pi i f(x)/p}, where m>1 is odd and f is a polynomial of degree d with…

Number Theory · Mathematics 2010-11-16 Eduardo Duenez , Steven J. Miller , Howard Straubing , Amitabha Roy

This paper provides a survey of results on the greatest prime factor, the number of distinct prime factors, the greatest squarefree factor and the greatest m-th powerfree part of a block of consecutive integers, both without any assumption…

Number Theory · Mathematics 2016-12-19 Tarlok N. Shorey , Rob Tijdeman

In 1999 Allan Swett checked (in 150 hours) the Erd\H{o}s-Straus conjecture up to $N=10^{14}$ with a sieve based on a single modular equation. After having proved the existence of a "complete" set of seven modular equations (including three…

Number Theory · Mathematics 2014-06-25 Serge E. Salez

This paper makes a fundamental assertion about the Erd\H{o}s-Straus conjecture. Suppose that for a prime $p$ there exists $x,y,z \in \mathbb{N}$ with $x \leq y \leq z$ so that $$ \frac{4}{p} = \frac{1}{x} + \frac{1}{y} + \frac{1}{z}. $$ The…

Number Theory · Mathematics 2020-03-04 Kyle Bradford

Let $T_o(k)$ denote the number of solutions of $\sum_{i=1}^k\frac 1{x_i}=1$ in odd numbers $1<x_1<x_2<...<x_k$. It is clear that $T_o(2k)=0$. For distinct primes $p_1, p_2,..., p_t$, let $S(p_1, p_2,...,…

Number Theory · Mathematics 2014-09-16 Yong-Gao Chen , Christian Elsholtz , Li-Li Jiang

A unit fraction representation of a rational number $r$ is a finite sum of reciprocals of positive integers that equals $r$. Of particular interest is the case when all denominators in the representation are distinct, resulting in an…

Number Theory · Mathematics 2025-01-29 Greg Martin , Yue Shi

For any positive integer $n$, let $f(n)$ denote the number of solutions to the Diophantine equation $\frac{4}{n} = \frac{1}{x} + \frac{1}{y} + \frac{1}{z}$ with $x,y,z$ positive integers. The \emph{Erd\H{o}s-Straus conjecture} asserts that…

Number Theory · Mathematics 2015-08-04 Christian Elsholtz , Terence Tao

This article proposes a unified analytical approach leading to a partial resolution of the Erdos-Straus, Sierpinski conjectures, and their generalization. We introduce an equivalent reformulation of these conjectures while constructing two…

Number Theory · Mathematics 2026-02-17 Philemon Urbain Mballa

While solving a special case of a question of Erd\H{o}s and Graham Steinerberger asks for all integers $n$ with $\phi(n)=\frac{2}{3} \cdot (n+1)$. He discovered the solutions $n\in\{5, 5 \cdot 7, 5\cdot 7\cdot 37, 5\cdot 7\cdot 37\cdot…

Number Theory · Mathematics 2025-04-29 Christian Hercher

In a paper published by this author in www.academia.edu(see reference[3]), it was established that there exist no three positive integers which are consecutive terms of an arithmetic progression; and whose sum of squares is a perfect or…

General Mathematics · Mathematics 2013-11-27 Konstantine Zelator

In this article, we establish an additive decomposition of the discrete zeta function (for $s \in \mathbb{N}^*$, $s > 1$), more precisely of the function $4(\zeta(s)-1)$, as a series whose general term is of the form $1/x_n(s) + 1/y_n(s) +…

Number Theory · Mathematics 2025-05-14 Philemon Urbain Mballa

Multiplication and exponentiation can be defined by equations in which one of the operands is written as the sum of powers of two. When these powers are non-negative integers, the operand is integer; without this restriction it is a…

Numerical Analysis · Mathematics 2020-03-12 M. H. van Emden

Egyptian decompositions of 2/D as a sum of two unit fractions are studied by means of certain divisors of D, namely r and s. Our analysis does not concern the method to find r and s, but just why the scribes have chosen a solution instead…

History and Overview · Mathematics 2014-04-02 Lionel Bréhamet

For h=3 or 4, Egyptian decompositions into h unit fractions, like 2/D = 1/D1 + ... +1/Dh, were given by using (h-1) divisors (di) of D1. This ancient modus operandi, well recognized today, provides Di=DD1/di for i greater than 1.…

History and Overview · Mathematics 2014-03-25 Lionel Bréhamet , Lionel Bréhamet

Most integers are composite and most univariate polynomials over a finite field are reducible. The Prime Number Theorem and a classical result of Gau{\ss} count the remaining ones, approximately and exactly. For polynomials in two or more…

Commutative Algebra · Mathematics 2014-07-14 Joachim von zur Gathen , Konstantin Ziegler