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Research notes on every problem, and a library of the papers behind them. Built from the open erdos repository.

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Claim. The second question of Problem 367 fails at k=3k=3 by more than the n2log⁡nn^2\log n rate: for every MM there is nn with

B2(n) B2(n+1) B2(n+2)>M n2log⁡n,B_2(n)\,B_2(n+1)\,B_2(n+2)>M\,n^2\log n,

so the ratio of the product to n2log⁡nn^2\log n is unbounded. The construction runs the Pell sequence of van Doorn's claim over a finite set SS of primes p≡5(mod8)p\equiv5\pmod8 at once: with α=3+8\alpha=3+\sqrt8 one has αp(p+1)/2≡−1(modp2)\alpha^{p(p+1)/2}\equiv-1\pmod{p^2}, so for a suitable index jj every p2p^2 with p∈Sp\in S divides nj+2n_j+2, giving B2(nj+2)≥∏p∈Sp2B_2(n_j+2)\ge\prod_{p\in S}p^2 while log⁡nj≪∏p∈Sp(p+1)/2\log n_j\ll\prod_{p\in S}p(p+1)/2; the gain ∏p∈S2p/(p+1)\prod_{p\in S}2p/(p+1) tends to infinity with SS. Hughes posted the result in the problem's thread on 2026-06-10 with a Lean 4 repository, pinned above at its commit of that day, whose README describes it as the formalized results accompanying a paper of Hughes's on powerful parts of consecutive integers and Davenport–Zannier polynomials.

Submission note. Posted to the site's forum by S. D. Hughes on 10 June 2026:

Some progress on this problem and its BrB_r extension. The main constructions are vibe formalized in Lean 4/Mathlib — zero sorries, standard axioms, the audit prints at build time — here.

  1. The BrB_r extension (in its nontrivial reading — some ε(r,k)>0\varepsilon(r,k)>0): resolved affirmatively for all r,k≥2r,k\ge2, with any ε<r+1r2\varepsilon<\frac{r+1}{r^2}. For odd rr: n=(tr−1)rn=(t^r-1)^r, so Br(n)=nB_r(n)=n and n+1=trΨr(t)n+1=t^r\Psi_r(t); Schur+Hensel force sr∣Ψr(t)s^r\mid\Psi_r(t) with sr≍ts^r\asymp t by taking tt in one period. Even rr: same with n=(tr+1)r−1n=(t^r+1)^r-1.

  2. The k=3k=3 lower bound strengthens to $\limsup_n \frac{B_2(n)B_2(n+1)B_2(n+2)}{n^2\log n}=\infty$: run the Pell construction with a finite set SS of primes ≡5(mod8)\equiv5\pmod 8 simultaneously (α(p+1)/2⋅p≡−1 mod p2\alpha^{(p+1)/2\cdot p}\equiv-1\bmod p^2, odd quotients), giving B2(nj+2)≥∏p∈Sp2B_2(n_j+2)\ge\prod_{p\in S}p^2 with $\log n_j\ll\prod_{p\in S}\frac{p+1}2p$; the gain is ≥∏p∈S2pp+1→∞\ge\prod_{p\in S}\frac{2p}{p+1}\to\infty.

  3. For two-term cube-full parts, E3:=lim sup⁡nlog⁡(B3(n)B3(n+1))log⁡nE_3:=\limsup_n\frac{\log(B_3(n)B_3(n+1))}{\log n} satisfies

>4027 ≤ E3 ≤ 32,> \tfrac{40}{27}\ \le\ E_3\ \le\ \tfrac32,

the upper bound conditional on

abcabc, the lower bound via an explicit degree-27 Davenport–Zannier identity G3+N3=HC3G^3+N^3=HC^3 (N=21434N=2^{14}3^4, G′=9C2G'=9C^2) plus the same Hensel device; a rational identity of this shape of degree 3d3d gives E3≥32−16dE_3\ge\frac32-\frac1{6d}, so a family with d→∞d\to\infty would pin E3=32E_3=\frac32 under abcabc.

Also recorded: under abcabc, $\prod_{n\le m<n+k}B_2(m)\ll_{k,\varepsilon}n^{2+\varepsilon}$ for every fixed kk (Granville–Langevin radical bound applied to ∏i<k(x+i)\prod_{i<k}(x+i)). The unconditional weak form of course remains open.

Covers. The second question (the part strong_bound), already answered no on van Doorn's page; this claim sharpens the rate at k=3k=3 from ≫n2log⁡n\gg n^2\log n infinitely often to an unbounded ratio against n2log⁡nn^2\log n. Not covered: the first question (the part weak_bound), on which Hughes has a separate conditional claim.

Depends on. Nothing in this wiki; the Lean development is self-contained, and van Doorn's page is cited for the construction it extends.

Standing. Claimed. Three things qualify the Lean. First, the repository's headline theorem erdos367 in the module PellLimsup, that for every real MM some nn has the product above M n2log⁡nM\,n^2\log n, holds trivially at n=1n=1, where n2log⁡n=0n^2\log n=0 and the product is 11. Second, the unbounded ratio therefore rests on the lemma erdos367_key, that for every NN some index j≥1j\ge1 has B2(nj+2)>Nlog⁡njB_2(n_j+2)>N\log n_j, together with the lemmas L1 and L2, that B2(nj)=njB_2(n_j)=n_j and B2(nj+1)=nj+1B_2(n_j+1)=n_j+1; along j≥1j\ge1 the lemma does give the claim. Third, the paper the README cites has no public posting. The README reports that every module builds without sorry and that each theorem depends only on propext, Classical.choice and Quot.sound, with no native_decide. The corpus has not built or audited the repository, so no formalized evidence is listed; the site labels the problem OPEN (page last edited 23 March 2026) and its commentary does not mention this result, so no reviewed evidence is listed either. The same repository carries Hughes's other claims: the BrB_r variant of the site's commentary for odd rr (erdos367_iv, with n=(qr−1)rn=(q^r-1)^r) and an arithmetic core for Hughes's bounds on E3=lim sup⁡log⁡(B3(n)B3(n+1))/log⁡nE_3=\limsup\log(B_3(n)B_3(n+1))/\log n under explicit prime-supply hypotheses; the problem page records them.