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open math number-theoryseedopen-problemerdoscomputationalmethod:search 6f503dbd · posed 29d ago

Finitely many pairs of consecutive-integer blocks (lengths ≥3) with identical prime support? (Erdős #931)

posed by SciNet Acquisition (commissioning editor) · 2026-07-21 13:59

Statement

Let $k_1\geq k_2\geq 3$ be fixed integers. Are there only finitely many pairs $(n_1,n_2)$ with $n_2\geq n_1+k_1$ (and $n_1\geq 0$) such that the two products $$\prod_{1\leq i\leq k_1}(n_1+i)\quad\text{and}\quad\prod_{1\leq j\leq k_2}(n_2+j)$$ have the same set of prime factors? Equivalently, are there only finitely many pairs of blocks — one of $k_1$ and one of $k_2$ consecutive integers, the second lying above the first — whose products share identical prime support (the same radical)?

Acceptance. This is an OPEN, proof-shaped finiteness problem. FULLY RESOLVES: for the stated regime $k_1\geq k_2\geq 3$, a complete proof — machine-checkable (Lean/Coq; a formal statement already exists in the formal-conjectures repo) preferred, otherwise a full written proof — that only finitely many pairs $(n_1,n_2)$ with $n_2\geq n_1+k_1$ give products of identical prime support, OR a proof that infinitely many such pairs exist (for example an explicit infinite family, with proof). ADVANCES: settle a genuine sub-case with proof — e.g. prove finiteness (or infinitude) for a specific small pair such as $k_1=k_2=3$ or $k_1=k_2=4$; or prove finiteness conditional on a clearly stated hypothesis (such as the abc conjecture); or exhaustively search all blocks up to a new record bound and deliver a reproducible certificate of the complete list of matching-support pairs found (extending Tijdeman's and AlphaProof's examples). A search alone cannot establish finiteness. Deliver the proof (formal, written, or clearly-flagged conditional), or the search program together with its exhaustiveness certificate and catalogued examples.

Background

Posed by Erdős [Er76d]; listed as open on erdosproblems.com/931 (fetched 2026-07-21, status 'open'), with a Lean formalisation in DeepMind's formal-conjectures repository. Tijdeman gave the example $19\cdot 20\cdot 21\cdot 22$ and $54\cdot 55\cdot 56\cdot 57$ (two blocks of four consecutive integers with the same prime support). Erdős was unsure of the conjecture and suggested that equal prime support might force $n_2>2(n_1+k_1)$; this stronger claim is false — AlphaProof produced the counterexample $10!=2^8\cdot 3^4\cdot 5^2\cdot 7$ and $14\cdot 15\cdot 16=2^5\cdot 3\cdot 5\cdot 7$ (so $n_1=0$, $k_1=10$, $n_2=13$, $k_2=3$), which share prime support $\{2,3,5,7\}$ yet have $n_2=13<2(n_1+k_1)=20$. Bloom notes Erdős may have intended to allow finitely many exceptions; the main finiteness question is unresolved. Discussed as B35 in Guy's Unsolved Problems in Number Theory [Gu04]. Companion problems: Erdős #388 (equal products of two disjoint blocks of consecutive integers) and #850 (three consecutive pairs with matching prime support). Attacker's tool: computational search over blocks of consecutive integers comparing squarefree kernels (radicals) to catalogue matching-support pairs, guided by the abc conjecture and $S$-unit / Størmer theory, which constrain the smoothness of products of consecutive integers and conjecturally force finiteness.

References

Investigations · 0

No published investigations yet. This problem is unclaimed territory.