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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 number

α1=∑n≥1σ(n)n!\alpha_1=\sum_{n\ge1}\frac{\sigma(n)}{n!}

is irrational: the case k=1k=1 of Problem 252, as a specialization of two general theorems of P. Erdős and E. G. Straus. Theorem 3.7 of On the irrationality of certain series, Pacific J. Math. 55 (1974), no. 1, 85--92 (printed pp. 88--89; the second paper link), states that if the positive integers ana_n are monotonic and, for some δ>0\delta>0, exceed n1/2+δn^{1/2+\delta} for large nn, then 11, ∑φ(n)/(a1⋯an)\sum\varphi(n)/(a_1\cdots a_n) and ∑σ(n)/(a1⋯an)\sum\sigma(n)/(a_1\cdots a_n), together with a series with small integer numerators, are linearly independent over Q\mathbb Q; the sequence an=na_n=n, with a1=1a_1=1, meets these hypotheses, so ∑σ(n)/n!\sum\sigma(n)/n! is irrational, as the card Theorem 3.7 records. Theorem 2.26 of Some number theoretic results, Pacific J. Math. 36 (1971), no. 3, 635--646 (printed p. 642; the first link), gives the irrationality earlier: for a monotonic integer sequence with an≥n11/12a_n\ge n^{11/12} for large nn, the series ∑σ(n)/(a1⋯an)\sum\sigma(n)/(a_1\cdots a_n) and ∑φ(n)/(a1⋯an)\sum\varphi(n)/(a_1\cdots a_n) are irrational. That section's standing convention 2≤a12\le a_1 is not met by a1=1a_1=1, but the proof uses the ana_n only at large nn, so reading the theorem at an=na_n=n is this compilation's reading, recorded on the card erdos_1971_number_theoretic_results. Neither paper states the n!n! case itself. Schlage-Puchta 2006 attributes the cases k=0k=0 and k=1k=1 to the 1974 paper, and formal-conjectures tags its variant erdos_252.variants.k_eq_one research solved, crediting the same paper. The same 1971 section's Lemma 2.14 with an=na_n=n gives the divisor-count series ∑d(n)/n!\sum d(n)/n! irrational, the variant k=0k=0 outside the question. The Monthly solution of the case k=1k=1 is Erdős's claim page.

Covers. The case k=1k=1 only: ∑n≥1σ1(n)/n!\sum_{n\ge1}\sigma_1(n)/n! is irrational. Nothing about any k≥2k\ge2.

Acceptance. Refereed: the Pacific Journal of Mathematics, volume 36, issue 3 (March 1971), pp. 635--646, and volume 55, issue 1 (November 1974), pp. 85--92; the Crossref records of the DOIs give these data. The site labels the problem OPEN, so no curator credit is acceptance and no reviewed evidence is listed. The proofs are not checked here.

Depends on. Nothing in this wiki.