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Source. Equation (19) and the following argument, printed p. 89 (PDF p. 5).

Let N\mathcal N be the set of square-free integers

n=p1⋯pk,k≥2,p1=3,p2=5,p1<⋯<pk,n=p_1\cdots p_k,\qquad k\ge2,\quad p_1=3,\quad p_2=5,\quad p_1<\cdots<p_k,

such that

pi<∏j<ipj(3≤i≤k).(1)p_i<\prod_{j<i}p_j\qquad(3\le i\le k). \tag{1}

Statement. Every finite subset NN of N\mathcal N satisfies gN(d)≤dg_N(d)\le d for every integer d≥1d\ge1.

Full proof

Consider ss distinct members n1,…,nsn_1,\ldots,n_s whose pairwise gcd is dd. If s≤1s\le1, then s≤ds\le d immediately. Suppose s≥2s\ge2. Then dd is square-free and divisible by 1515, since all members contain the primes 3 and 5. Write nj=dvjn_j=dv_j. The vjv_j are pairwise coprime; at most one of them is one.

If vj>1v_j>1, take the least prime factor pip_i of njn_j not dividing dd. It is also the least prime factor of vjv_j. The index is at least three, and every earlier prime factor divides dd. Hence

pi<∏h<iph≤dp_i<\prod_{h<i}p_h\le d

by (1). Assign this prime to vjv_j. Pairwise coprimality makes the assigned primes distinct. There are at most π(d−1)\pi(d-1) such primes, so

s≤1+π(d−1)<d(d≥15).s\le1+\pi(d-1)<d\qquad(d\ge15).

For the last inequality, among 1,…,d−11,\ldots,d-1 at least 1 and 4 are not prime, so π(d−1)≤d−3\pi(d-1)\le d-3. This proves the result in every case.

Source precision. The source says every cofactor vjv_j has a prime smaller than dd. A member nj=dn_j=d instead gives vj=1v_j=1. There is at most one such member, and the additional one above is harmless. Singleton gcd families are treated before division by dd, since their pairwise gcd condition alone does not imply d∣njd\mid n_j.

Use. The [[covering_systems/erdos_1968_problem_p_erdos_s_stein/theorem_2_lower_bound|lower construction for F(x)F(x)]] counts elements of this fixed infinite sequence. It does not assert that they admit a disjoint progression system.