Carmichael's totient function conjecture
Encyclopedia
In mathematics, Carmichael's totient function conjecture concerns the multiplicity
of values of Euler's totient function
φ(n), which counts the number of integers less than and coprime
to n. It states that, for every n there is at least one other integer m ≠ n such that φ(m) = φ(n).
Robert Carmichael
first stated this conjecture 1907, but as a theorem rather than as a conjecture. However, his proof was faulty and in 1922 he retracted his claim and stated the conjecture as an open problem.
Similarly, the totient is equal to 4 when n is one of the four values 5, 8, 10, and 12, and it is equal to 6 when n is one of the four values 7, 9, 14, and 18. In each case, there is more than one value of n having the same value of φ(n).
The conjecture states that this phenomenon of repeated values holds for every n.
extended this result to 10400. A lower bound of 10107 was given by Schlafly and Wagon, and a lower bound of 101010 was determined by Kevin Ford in 1998.
The computational technique underlying these lower bounds depends on some key results of Klee that make it possible to show that the smallest counterexample must be divisible by squares of the primes dividing its totient value. Klee's results imply that 8 and Fermat primes (primes of the form 2k+1) excluding 3 do not divide the smallest counterexample. Consequently, proving the conjecture is equivalent to proving that the conjecture holds for all integers congruent to 4 (mod 8).
Although the conjecture is widely believed, Carl Pomerance
gave a sufficient condition for an integer n to be a counterexample to the conjecture . According to this condition, n is a counterexample if for every prime p such that p − 1 divides φ(n), p2 divides n. However Pomerance showed that the existence of such an integer is highly improbable. Essentially, one can show that if the first k primes p congruent to 1 (mod q) (where q is a prime) are all less than qk+1, then such an integer will be divisible by every prime and thus cannot exist. In any case, proving that Pomerance's counterexample does not exist is far from proving Carmichael's Conjecture. However if it exists then infinitely many counterexamples exist as asserted by Ford.
Another way of stating Carmichael's conjecture is that, if
A(f) denotes the number of positive integers n for which φ(n) = f, then A(f) can never equal 1. Relatedly, Wacław Sierpiński conjectured that every positive integer other than 1 occurs as a value of A(f), a conjecture that was proven in 1999 by Kevin Ford.
Multiplicity (mathematics)
In mathematics, the multiplicity of a member of a multiset is the number of times it appears in the multiset. For example, the number of times a given polynomial equation has a root at a given point....
of values of Euler's totient function
Euler's totient function
In number theory, the totient \varphi of a positive integer n is defined to be the number of positive integers less than or equal to n that are coprime to n In number theory, the totient \varphi(n) of a positive integer n is defined to be the number of positive integers less than or equal to n that...
φ(n), which counts the number of integers less than and coprime
Coprime
In number theory, a branch of mathematics, two integers a and b are said to be coprime or relatively prime if the only positive integer that evenly divides both of them is 1. This is the same thing as their greatest common divisor being 1...
to n. It states that, for every n there is at least one other integer m ≠ n such that φ(m) = φ(n).
Robert Carmichael
Robert Daniel Carmichael
Robert Daniel Carmichael was a leading American mathematician. Carmichael was born in Goodwater, Alabama. He attended Lineville College, briefly, and he earned his bachelor's degree in 1898, while he was studying towards his Ph.D. degree at Princeton University. Carmichael completed the...
first stated this conjecture 1907, but as a theorem rather than as a conjecture. However, his proof was faulty and in 1922 he retracted his claim and stated the conjecture as an open problem.
Examples
The totient function φ(n) is equal to 2 when n is one of the three values 3, 4, and 6. Thus, if we take any one of these three values as n, then either of the other two values can be used as the m for which φ(m) = φ(n).Similarly, the totient is equal to 4 when n is one of the four values 5, 8, 10, and 12, and it is equal to 6 when n is one of the four values 7, 9, 14, and 18. In each case, there is more than one value of n having the same value of φ(n).
The conjecture states that this phenomenon of repeated values holds for every n.
Lower bounds
There are very high lower bounds for Carmichael's conjecture that are relatively easy to determine. Carmichael himself proved that any counterexample to his conjecture (that is, a value n such that φ(n) is different from the totients of all other numbers) must be at least 1037, and Victor KleeVictor Klee
Victor L. Klee, Jr. was a mathematician specialising in convex sets, functional analysis, analysis of algorithms, optimization, and combinatorics. He spent almost his entire career at the University of Washington in Seattle.Born in San Francisco, Vic Klee earned his B.A...
extended this result to 10400. A lower bound of 10107 was given by Schlafly and Wagon, and a lower bound of 101010 was determined by Kevin Ford in 1998.
The computational technique underlying these lower bounds depends on some key results of Klee that make it possible to show that the smallest counterexample must be divisible by squares of the primes dividing its totient value. Klee's results imply that 8 and Fermat primes (primes of the form 2k+1) excluding 3 do not divide the smallest counterexample. Consequently, proving the conjecture is equivalent to proving that the conjecture holds for all integers congruent to 4 (mod 8).
Other results
Ford also proved that if there exists a counterexample to the Conjecture, then a positive fraction (that is infinitely many) of the integers are likewise counterexamples.Although the conjecture is widely believed, Carl Pomerance
Carl Pomerance
Carl Bernard Pomerance is a well-known number theorist. He attended college at Brown University and later received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1972 with a dissertation proving that any odd perfect number has at least 7 distinct prime factors. He immediately joined the faculty at the...
gave a sufficient condition for an integer n to be a counterexample to the conjecture . According to this condition, n is a counterexample if for every prime p such that p − 1 divides φ(n), p2 divides n. However Pomerance showed that the existence of such an integer is highly improbable. Essentially, one can show that if the first k primes p congruent to 1 (mod q) (where q is a prime) are all less than qk+1, then such an integer will be divisible by every prime and thus cannot exist. In any case, proving that Pomerance's counterexample does not exist is far from proving Carmichael's Conjecture. However if it exists then infinitely many counterexamples exist as asserted by Ford.
Another way of stating Carmichael's conjecture is that, if
A(f) denotes the number of positive integers n for which φ(n) = f, then A(f) can never equal 1. Relatedly, Wacław Sierpiński conjectured that every positive integer other than 1 occurs as a value of A(f), a conjecture that was proven in 1999 by Kevin Ford.