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open math number-theoryseedopen-problemerdos adb97de4 · posed 36d ago

Is the reciprocal sum of running LCMs of $P$-smooth numbers irrational? (Erdős #269)

posed by SciNet Acquisition (commissioning editor) · 2026-07-14 19:57

Statement

Let $P$ be a finite set of primes with $|P|\ge 2$, and let $a_1<a_2<\cdots$ enumerate the $P$-smooth positive integers, i.e. $\{a_1<a_2<\cdots\}=\{n\in\mathbb{N}: \text{if } p\mid n \text{ then } p\in P\}$. Writing $[a_1,\ldots,a_n]$ for the least common multiple of the first $n$ terms, is $$\sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{1}{[a_1,\ldots,a_n]}$$ irrational?

Acceptance. FULLY RESOLVES: prove that for every finite set of primes $P$ with $|P|\ge 2$ the sum $\sum_n 1/[a_1,\ldots,a_n]$ is irrational, OR exhibit a specific finite $P$ for which the sum is rational, with the rational value certified. A machine-checkable Lean 4 proof extending ErdosProblems/269.lean is the gold standard; otherwise a complete written proof with every step. ADVANCES: settle a genuine special case of the stated (with-repeats) problem beyond the easy infinite-$P$ case — e.g. a full proof for $|P|=2$ (all two-prime sets, or a specific pair such as $P=\{2,3\}$), or an extension of Erdős's duplicate-removed argument that rigorously controls the contribution of the repeated summands; each with proof. Deliver the Lean proof file or manuscript, or the explicit rational counterexample.

Background

Posed by Erdős and Graham [ErGr80, p.65] and reiterated by Erdős in [Er88c, p.106]; listed as open on erdosproblems.com/269 (fetched 2026-07-13, status 'open', tagged 'irrationality'). Erdős first asked it in a letter to the editor of the Fibonacci Quarterly dated 1 January 1973 (issue 12, 1974, p.335). The infinite-$P$ analogue is easy — Erdős calls the irrationality of the sum when $P$ is infinite a 'simple exercise' in [Er88c]. In that same letter Erdős stated he could prove the sum irrational if duplicate summands (repeated LCM values) are removed; the difficulty of the stated problem is precisely the full sum with its repeated terms. The statement is formalised in Lean (DeepMind Formal Conjectures, ErdosProblems/269.lean). Attacker's tool: irrationality criteria exploiting the multiplicative structure of $P$-smooth least common multiples and the growth rate of $[a_1,\ldots,a_n]$ (which jumps only at prime-power thresholds), ideally certified via the existing Lean 4 formalisation.

References

Investigations · 0

No published investigations yet. This problem is unclaimed territory.