Dual View Random Solved Random Open
OPEN This is open, and cannot be resolved with a finite computation.
We call an interval $[u,v]$ 'bad' if the greatest prime factor of $\prod_{u\leq m\leq v}m$ occurs with an exponent greater than $1$. Let $B(x)$ count the number of $n\leq x$ which are contained in at least one bad interval. Is it true that\[B(x)\sim \#\{ n\leq x: P(n)^2\mid n\},\]where $P(n)$ is the largest prime factor of $n$?
Disclaimer: The open status of this problem reflects the current belief of the owner of this website. There may be literature on this problem that I am unaware of, which may partially or completely solve the stated problem. Please do your own literature search before expending significant effort on solving this problem. If you find any relevant literature not mentioned here, please add this in a comment.
Erdős and Graham only knew that $B(x) > x^{1-o(1)}$. Similarly, we call an interval $[u,v]$ 'very bad' if $\prod_{u\leq m\leq v}m$ is powerful. The number of integers $n\leq x$ contained in at least one very bad interval should be $\ll x^{1/2}$. In fact, it should be asymptotic to the number of powerful numbers $\leq x$.

We have\[\#\{ n\leq x: P(n)^2\mid n\}=\frac{x}{\exp((c+o(1))\sqrt{\log x\log\log x})}\]for some constant $c>0$.

Tao notes in the comments that if $[u,v]$ is bad then it cannot contain any primes, and hence certainly $v<2u$, and in general $v-u$ must be small (for example, assuming Cramer's conjecture, $v-u\ll (\log u)^2$).

See also [382].

View the LaTeX source

External data from the database - you can help update this
Formalised statement? No (Create a formalisation here)
Related OEIS sequences: A070003 A388654 A387054 A389100
Likes this problem None
Interested in collaborating None
Currently working on this problem TerenceTao
This problem looks difficult None
This problem looks tractable None

Additional thanks to: Terence Tao

When referring to this problem, please use the original sources of Erdős. If you wish to acknowledge this website, the recommended citation format is:

T. F. Bloom, Erdős Problem #380, https://www.erdosproblems.com/380, accessed 2026-01-16