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N N n+1 N N N: The Only Limit Points of The Sequence
N N n+1 N N N: The Only Limit Points of The Sequence
N N n+1 N N N: The Only Limit Points of The Sequence
) Let an
be the number of divisors of n!, including 1 and n!. Now let bn = an+1 /an . Find
all limit points of the sequence (bn ). (Recall that a number x is a limit point of the
sequence if there exists a subsequence (bnk ) that converges to x.)
1 1
Solution. We will prove that {1 + q
| q Z+ } {1} are limit points of (bn ).
X n
p (n!) = ,
i=1
pi
n sp (n)
p (n!) = ,
p1
and p ((n + 1)!) = p (n!) for any prime p not dividing n + 1. Hence:
1Note: this is a partial solution, it would remain to determine if the limit points shown here are
the only limit points of the sequence.
Y 1 + p ((n + 1)!)
bn =
p prime
1 + p (n!)
r
Y 1 + pj ((n + 1)!)
=
j=1
1 + pj ((n + 1)!) j
r 1
Y j
= 1
j=1
1 + pj ((n + 1)!)
1
r
Y
1 j
= n+1spj (n+1)
j=1 1+ pj 1
1
r
Y
= 1 j s (n+1) .
p
j=1 1 + pn+1
j 1
1 jn+1
r1
Y
Next write n+1 = qpr r with q = pj (if r = 1 then q = 1), and look at subsequences
j=1
of bn with q fixed and pr picked as an increasingly large prime approaching infinity.
For q < pr we have that the pr -base expansion of n + 1 will consist of q followed by
r zeros, so spr (n + 1) = q, and we will have:
1 1
r1
r Y
bn = 1 r
1 r
j s (n+1)
p
1 + qp r
pr 1
1 p1r j=1 1 + qp r
pj 1
1 jn+1
r
This shows that in fact the elements of {1 + 1q | q Z+ } {1} are limit points of (bn ).