OPEN
This is open, and cannot be resolved with a finite computation.
For which integers $a\geq 1$ and primes $p$ is there a finite upper bound on those $k$ such that there are $a=a_1<\cdots<a_n$ with\[p^k \mid (a_1!+\cdots+a_n!)?\]If $f(a,p)$ is the greatest such $k$, how does this function behave?
Is there a prime $p$ and an infinite sequence $a_1<a_2<\cdots$ such that if $p^{m_k}$ is the highest power of $p$ dividing $\sum_{i\leq k}a_i!$ then $m_k\to \infty$?
See also
[403]. Lin
[Li76] has shown that $f(2,2) \leq 254$.
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This page was last edited 29 September 2025.
Additional thanks to: Vjekoslav Kovac
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