Infinitely many prime divisors for non-geometric generalized derangement sequences

Let N\mathbb{N}, P\mathbb{P} and Z\mathbb{Z} denote the non-negative integers, prime numbers and integers, respectively. For f,g,hZ[X]f,g,h\in\mathbb{Z}[X], let a(f,g,h)=(an)nNR\mathbf{a}(f,g,h)=(a_n)_{n\in\mathbb{N}}\in\mathcal{R} be defined by

a0=g(0),an=f(n)an1+g(n)(h(n))n(n>0).a_0=g(0),\qquad a_n=f(n)a_{n-1}+g(n)\left(h(n)\right)^n\quad(n>0).

For a sequence a=(an)nN\mathbf{a}=(a_n)_{n\in\mathbb{N}}, define

Pa={pP:nNpan}.\mathcal{P}_{\mathbf a}=\left\{p\in\mathbb{P}:\exists_{n\in\mathbb{N}}\quad p\mid a_n\right\}.

The non-geometric prime-divisor conjecture. If aR\mathbf{a}\in\mathcal{R} is not a geometric progression, then the set Pa\mathcal{P}_{\mathbf a} is infinite.

The conjecture asks whether every generalized derangement sequence that is not geometric has infinitely many prime divisors among its terms. The paper states that this conjecture is false, so the claim is refuted.

Sources & referencesView supporting material

Primary source

Eryk Lipka and Piotr Miska, “On two conjectures regarding generalized sequence of derangements”, arXiv:2004.10839 (2020).

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