Problem:
Prove that there exist infinitely many prime numbers that divide at least one integer of the form with a positive integer.
Problem:
Prove that there exist infinitely many prime numbers that divide at least one integer of the form with a positive integer.
Solution:
Suppose that the set of primes that divide integers of the form is finite. We will find a contradiction by exhibiting an integer such that possesses at least one prime factor that does not belong to .
Let be the product of all the numbers as ranges over (that is, is Euler's totient function of the product of the primes in ). Since , then divides . Moreover, for every , except possibly the cases , we have, by Fermat's little theorem, , from which
None of the primes in can therefore divide , except possibly 2, 3 and 5. On the other hand is not divisible by 3: indeed, since is even, we have . Moreover is not divisible by 5 either: indeed, since is a multiple of , . If, for contradiction, had only prime factors belonging to , then would necessarily have to be a power of 2. Since , we have , from which
It follows that lies between two consecutive powers of 2, and therefore cannot itself be a power of 2; this contradiction gives the thesis.