The limiting-distribution conjecture for totient multiplicities

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Let ϕ\phi be Euler's totient function. For x⩾1x\geqslant 1, let V(x)V(x) be the number of totients at most xx, and for an integer k⩾1k\geqslant 1, let Vk(x)V_k(x) be the number of totients at most xx having exactly kk preimages under ϕ\phi. Limiting-distribution conjecture. For every integer k⩾2k\geqslant 2, there exists a constant CkC_k such that

lim⁡x→∞Vk(x)V(x)=Ck.\lim_{x\to\infty}\frac{V_k(x)}{V(x)}=C_k.

The preceding theorem proves only that whenever multiplicity kk is possible, Vk(x)V_k(x) is a positive proportion of V(x)V(x) up to a factor depending on a witnessing totient. The existence of the individual limiting proportions CkC_k remains conjectural; numerical data in the source suggests a possible order of magnitude Ck≍1/k2C_k\asymp 1/k^2.

References

Primary source

Kevin Ford, “The distribution of totients”, arXiv:1104.3264 (2013).

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