Answer: (a) Yes; (b) No.
(a) Consider n consecutive integers k+1,k+2,…,k+n. As i≤n, there must be a multiple of i among them; denote it i′. As j≤n, there must also be a multiple x of j among them. If x=i′ then one may choose j′=x; then the product i′j′ is divisible by the product ij. Suppose in the rest that x=i′; then i′ as a common multiple of i and j is divisible by lcm(i,j).
Note that if gcd(i,j)>2n then gcd(i,j) could not have two distinct multiples i and j among 1,2,…,n. Thus gcd(i,j)≤2n, which in turn implies that gcd(i,j) must have two distinct multiples among k+1,k+2,…,k+n. At least one of them differs from i′; let that be j′. Then the product i′j′ is divisible by the product lcm(i,j) gcd(i,j) which equals ij.
(b) Let n=143 and i=77=7⋅11, j=91=7⋅13, and k=143=11⋅13; then ijk=72⋅112⋅132. We show that among 143 consecutive integers p−71,p−70,…,p+70,p+71, where p=6006=2⋅3⋅7⋅11⋅13, no three distinct numbers can have a product divisible by 72⋅112⋅132. For that, note that the largest number less than p that is divisible by at least two numbers among 7,11 and 13 is p−77, and similarly, the least number greater than p that is divisible by at least two numbers among 7,11 and 13 is p+77. Both lie outside the region under consideration. Consequently, at most one prime among 7,11 and 13 can belong to the canonical representation of any of the numbers p−71,p−70,…,p−1,p+1,…,p+70,p+71. Now choose any three numbers among p−71,p−70,…,p+70,p+71.
* Let p be among these three numbers. The primes 7,11 and 13 have exponent 1 in its canonical representation. As shown above, only one of these three primes can occur in the canonical representation of either of the other two chosen numbers. Thus the product of the chosen three numbers cannot be divisible by 72⋅112⋅132.
* Let all these three numbers differ from p. As shown above, each of these numbers can be divisible by at most one prime among 7,11 and 13. Hence, for their product to be divisible by 72⋅112⋅132, one of the numbers should be divisible by 132. But 13p=6⋅77≡−6(mod13) which implies p≡−6⋅13(mod132). Thus the nearest to p numbers divisible by 132 are p−7⋅13 and p+6⋅13 which lie outside the region under consideration. Consequently, the product of the chosen three number cannot be divisible by 72⋅112⋅132.