PlanetMath (more info)
 Math for the people, by the people. Sponsor PlanetMath
Encyclopedia | Requests | Forums | Docs | Wiki | Random | RSS  
Login
create new user
name:
pass:
forget your password?
Main Menu
Owner confidence rating: High Entry average rating: Very high
Thabit number (Definition)

An integer of the form $3 \cdot 2^n - 1$ or $2^{n + 1} + 2^n - 1$ They are listed in A055010 of Sloane's OEIS. The Thabit numbers are a subset of the Proth numbers.

The mathematician and astronomer Thabit ibn Qurra studied these numbers in search of a formula for amicable pairs. He found that when two consecutive Thabit numbers are also prime numbers (corresponding to indices $n$ and $n - 1$ and $9 \cdot 2^{2n - 1} - 1$ is a prime number, too, then these numbers multiplied by $2^n$ will reveal an amicable pair. The only $n$ known to fit these criteria are 2, 4 and 7. The largest Thabit number known to be prime corresponds to index 2312734, its immediate lower neighbor is composite.

It is conjectured that the nimfactorial of a Thabit number is always 2.




"Thabit number" is owned by Mravinci. [ full author list (2) | owner history (1) ]
(view preamble | get metadata)

View style:

See Also: a formula for amicable pairs

Other names:  Thabit ibn Kurra number, Thabit ibn Kurrah number, Thabit ibn Qurra number, Thabit ibn Qurrah number, Thabit bin Kurra number, Thabit bin Kurrah number, Thabit bin Qurra number, Thabit bin Qurrah number
Log in to rate this entry.
(view current ratings)

Cross-references: composite, index, amicable pair, indices, prime numbers, consecutive, a formula for amicable pairs, numbers, Thabit ibn Qurra, Proth numbers, subset, OEIS, integer
There is 1 reference to this entry.

This is version 2 of Thabit number, born on 2006-04-29, modified 2007-07-11.
Object id is 7882, canonical name is ThabitNumber.
Accessed 5537 times total.

Classification:
AMS MSC11A05 (Number theory :: Elementary number theory :: Multiplicative structure; Euclidean algorithm; greatest common divisors)

Pending Errata and Addenda
None.
Discussion
Style: Expand: Order:
forum policy

No messages.

Interact
post | correct | update request | add derivation | add example | add (any)