Solution:
We induct on n. The cases n=1,2,3 can easily be checked by hand:
- n=1:22∣32⋅2.
- n=2:26∣25⋅φ(15)=25⋅2⋅23
- n=3:212∣25⋅φ(255)=25⋅2⋅22⋅24=212
For n≥4 assume the statement is true for all 1≤k<n and note that
φ(22n−1)=φ((22n−1−1)(22n−1+1))=φ(22n−1−1)⋅φ(22n−1+1)
since gcd(22n−1−1,22n−1+1)=1. But from our inductive assumption we know that
2(n−1)n∣32⋅φ(22n−1−1)
so all that is left to prove is that
22n∣φ(22n−1+1)
Take now any prime p that divides 22n−1+1 and let d be the order of 2modp. We know that
22n−1≡−1modp, squaring gives 22n≡1modp
By the properties of the order we therefore have
d∣2n but d∤2n−1
This implies d=2n and since we also have d∣p−1 we get
2n∣p−1 and therefore p≡1mod2n
If we are also able to prove that 22n−1+1 contains at least two different prime factors we would be done. This is because if p,q are two different such primes we can write
22n−1+1=px⋅qy⋅N
with N a positive integer and p,q∤N. Then
φ(22n−1+1)=(p−1)(q−1)⋅px−1qy−1φ(N)≡0mod22n
Assume now that 22n−1+1 is instead a prime power, say px. It follows that
(p−1)(px−1+px−2+…+p+1)=px−1=22n−1
It follows that x is odd since squares are ≡0 or 1mod4 and using the fact that p≡1mod2n we find
px−1+px−2+…+p+1≡xmod2n
implying x=1. But then 22n−1+1 is a prime and
φ(22n−1+1)=22n−1
and since n≥4 we have 2n−1≥2n and we are done in this case as well.