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Definition. If N Is A Positive Integer And: Proof. First, We Show That If

The document discusses perfect numbers and Mersenne primes. It defines a perfect number as a positive integer where the sum of its proper positive divisors is equal to the number. It then proves that an even perfect number must be of the form 2m-1(2m - 1), where 2m - 1 is prime. It also proves that if 2m - 1 is prime, then m must also be prime. Finally, it defines a Mersenne prime as a Mersenne number Mp = 2p - 1 that is also prime.

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50 views2 pages

Definition. If N Is A Positive Integer And: Proof. First, We Show That If

The document discusses perfect numbers and Mersenne primes. It defines a perfect number as a positive integer where the sum of its proper positive divisors is equal to the number. It then proves that an even perfect number must be of the form 2m-1(2m - 1), where 2m - 1 is prime. It also proves that if 2m - 1 is prime, then m must also be prime. Finally, it defines a Mersenne prime as a Mersenne number Mp = 2p - 1 that is also prime.

Uploaded by

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Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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7.

3 Perfect Numbers and Mersenne Primes

Because of certain mystical beliefs, the ancient Greeks were interested in those integers
that are equal to the sum of all their proper positive divisors.Such integers are called
perfect numbers

Definition. If n is a positive integer and 𝜎(𝑛) = 2𝑛, then n is called a perfect number.

Example 7.10 𝜎(6) = 1 + 2 + 3 + 6 = 12, we see that 6 is perfect.

Theorem 7.10 The positive integer n is an even perfect number if and only if

𝑛 = 2𝑚−1 (2𝑚 − 1),


where m is an integer such that 𝑚 ≥2 and 2𝑚 − 1 is prime.
Proof. First, we show that if 𝑛 = 2𝑚−1 (2𝑚 − 1), where 2𝑚 − 1 is prime, then n is
perfect. We note that because 2𝑚 − 1 is odd, we have (2𝑚−1, (2𝑚 − 1)) = 1. Because 𝜎
is a multiplicative function, we see that
𝜎(𝑛) = 𝜎(2𝑚−1 )𝜎(2𝑚 − 1)

Lemma 7.1 tells us that 𝜎(2𝑚−1 ) = 2𝑚 − 1 and 𝜎(2𝑚 − 1) = 2𝑚 , because we are assuming
that 2𝑚 − 1 is prime. Consequently,

𝜎(𝑛) = 𝜎(2𝑚−1 )𝜎(2𝑚 − 1) = 2𝑛

Demonstrating that n is a perfect number.

To show that the converse is true, let n be an even perfect number. Write 𝑛 = 2𝑠 𝑡, where s and t
are positive integers and t is odd. Because (2𝑠 , 𝑡) = 1, we see from Lemma 7.1 that

(7.1) 𝜎(𝑛) = 𝜎(2𝑠 𝑡) = 𝜎(2𝑠 )𝜎(𝑡) = (2𝑠+1 − 1)𝜎(𝑡).

Because n is perfect , we have

(7.2) 𝜎(𝑛) = 2𝑛 = 2𝑠+1 𝑡.

Combining (7.1) and (7.2) shows that

(7.3) (2𝑠+1 − 1)𝜎(𝑡) = 2𝑠+1 𝑡.


Because (2𝑠+1 − 1, 2𝑠+1 )= 1, from Lemma 3.4 we see that 2𝑠+1 | 𝜎(𝑡). Therefore, there is an
integer q such that 𝜎(𝑡) = 2𝑠+1 𝑞. Inserting this expression for 𝜎(𝑡) into (7.3) tells us that

(2𝑠+1 − 1)2𝑠+1 𝑞 = 2𝑠+1 𝑡

And therefore,

(7.4) (2𝑠+1 − 1)𝑞 = 𝑡

Hence, q|t and 𝑞 ≠ 𝑡.

When we add q to both sides of (7.4), we find that

(7.5) 𝑡 + 𝑞 = 2𝑠+1 − 1)𝑞 + 𝑞 = 2𝑠+1 𝑞 = 𝜎(𝑡).

We will show that q=1. Note that if 𝑞 ≠ 1, then there are at least three distinct positive divisors
of t, namely 1,q,and t. This implies that 𝜎(𝑡) ≥ 𝑡 + 𝑞 + 1, which contradicts (7.5) . Hence, q=1
and from (7.4), we conclude that 𝑡 = 2𝑠+1 − 1. Also, from (7.5), we see that 𝜎(𝑡) = 𝑡 + 1, so
that t must be prime, because its only positive divisors are 1 and t. Therefore, 𝑛 = 2𝑠 (2𝑠+1 − 1),
where 2𝑠+1 − 1 is prime.

Theorem 7.11 If m is a positive integer and 2𝑚 − 1 is prime, then m must be prime.

Proof . Assume that m is not prime, so that m=ab where 1<a<m and 1<b<m. Then

2𝑚 − 1 = 2𝑎𝑏 − 1 = (2𝑎 − 1)(2𝑎(𝑏−1) + 2𝑎(𝑏−2) + ⋯ + 2𝑎 + 1).

Because both factors on the right side of the equation are greater than 1, we see that 2𝑚 − 1 is
composite if m is not prime. Therefore, if 2𝑚 − 1 is prime, then m must also be prime.

Definition. If m is a positive integer, then 𝑀𝑚 = 2𝑚 − 1 is called the mth Mersenne number; if


p is prime and 𝑀𝑝 = 2𝑝 − 1 is also prime,then 𝑀𝑝 is called Mersenne prime.

Example 7.11 The Mersenne number 𝑀7 = 27 − 1 = 127 is prime,whereas the Mersenne


number 𝑀11 = 211 − 1 = 2047 = 23 ∙ 89 is composite.

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