Vincenzo Manto

Title: Structural boundaries, partitions and resonance of radical-prime multiplicative sequences
Author: Michael De Vlieger, Vincenzo Manto, James C. McMahon
Date:
Keywords: mathNumber TheoryInteger SequencesOEISRadical of an IntegerPrime Omega FunctionsPowerful NumbersSquaremid Numbers

Structural boundaries, partitions and resonance of radical-prime multiplicative sequences

Abstract:

We look at the structural properties, algebraic boundaries, and asymptotic behavior of integer sequences whose terms are defined by a resonance between an integer's radical kernel and its prime-factor-counting functions. The main object of study is A397221 (k = rad(k) * omega(k)) and A396594 (k = rad(k) * BigOmega(k)); we prove that the only powerful element of the latter is 4 and that its only squarefree elements are the primes. We then look at the non-prime elements and show they form a proper subset of the "squaremid" numbers (A332785). From there we build a partition of the squaremid space into three disjoint sets (A397499, A397500, and A396367) and prove they don't overlap.

Structural boundaries, partitions and resonance of radical-prime multiplicative sequences

1. Introduction

In multiplicative number theory, the relationship between an integer kk, its squarefree kernel (the radical), and its divisor-counting functions draws some surprisingly sharp boundaries within the natural numbers. This paper works through both empirical computation and formal proof for sequences where an integer equals the product of its radical and a prime-factor-counting metric.

First, some notation. For any positive integer k>1k > 1 with canonical prime factorization k=p1a1p2a2pmamk = p_1^{a_1} p_2^{a_2} \cdots p_m^{a_m}:

  • Little Omega Function (ω(k)\omega(k)A001221): the number of distinct prime factors of kk: ω(k)=m=pk1\omega(k) = m = \sum_{p \mid k} 1
  • Big Omega Function (Ω(k)\Omega(k)A001222): the total number of prime factors, counted with multiplicity: Ω(k)=i=1mai\Omega(k) = \sum_{i=1}^{m} a_i
  • The Radical (rad(k)\text{rad}(k)A007947): the greatest squarefree divisor of kk, i.e. the product of its distinct prime factors: rad(k)=i=1mpi\text{rad}(k) = \prod_{i=1}^{m} p_i
  • The Kernel Ratio (A003557): what’s left of kk once you strip out the radical — its non-squarefree part: krad(k)=i=1mpiai1\frac{k}{\text{rad}(k)} = \prod_{i=1}^{m} p_i^{a_i - 1}
  • Greatest Prime Factor (gpf(k)\text{gpf}(k)A006530): the largest prime pmp_m dividing kk.
  • Least Prime Factor (lpf(k)\text{lpf}(k)A020639): the smallest prime p1p_1 dividing kk.

With these in hand, we can sort integers into a few useful domains:

  1. Squarefree Numbers (A005117): integers with no repeated prime factor. Here k=rad(k)k = \text{rad}(k), since every ai=1a_i = 1, and so ω(k)=Ω(k)\omega(k) = \Omega(k).
  2. Powerful Numbers / Squareful Numbers (A001694): every prime factor appears with exponent ai2a_i \ge 2. Equivalently, rad(k)2k\text{rad}(k)^2 \mid k.
  3. Achilles Numbers (A052486): powerful numbers that aren’t perfect powers (A001597). These need at least two distinct primes with setwise-coprime exponents greater than 1, giving Ω(k)>2ω(k)\Omega(k) > 2\omega(k).
  4. Squaremid Numbers (A332785): neither squarefree nor powerful — the middle ground, where at least one prime has multiplicity 2\ge 2 and at least one has multiplicity 11. These satisfy ω(k)<Ω(k)\omega(k) < \Omega(k) and rad(k)2k\text{rad}(k)^2 \nmid k.

2. Structural analysis of sequence A396594

Sequence A396594 is defined by the resonance identity:

k=rad(k)×Ω(k)k = \text{rad}(k) \times \Omega(k)

Call its set of terms S\mathcal{S}. Scanning the early terms turns up the primes (A000040), the prime square 4=224 = 2^2, and a surprisingly regular family of composites.

2.1 Two primary infinite composite families

Set aside 44 and the primes: every composite term up to k193k \le 193 falls into one of two infinite families, both built by giving one prime factor a small exponent while leaving the other linear.

The 9p9p family (m=32×pm = 3^2 \times p)

Take any prime p3p \ne 3 and let m=32×pm = 3^2 \times p.

  • Distinct prime factors are 33 and pp, so: rad(m)=3×p=3p\text{rad}(m) = 3 \times p = 3p
  • Multiplicities are a3=2a_3 = 2, ap=1a_p = 1, so: Ω(m)=2+1=3\Omega(m) = 2 + 1 = 3
  • The resonance product: rad(m)×Ω(m)=(3p)×3=9p=m\text{rad}(m) \times \Omega(m) = (3p) \times 3 = 9p = m So every number of the form 9p9p, p3p \ne 3 prime, sits in A396594 — this accounts for terms like 18,45,63,99,117,153,18, 45, 63, 99, 117, 153, \dots

The 8p8p family (m=23×pm = 2^3 \times p)

Take any odd prime pp and let m=23×pm = 2^3 \times p.

  • Distinct prime factors are 22 and pp: rad(m)=2×p=2p\text{rad}(m) = 2 \times p = 2p
  • Multiplicities are a2=3a_2 = 3, ap=1a_p = 1: Ω(m)=3+1=4\Omega(m) = 3 + 1 = 4
  • The resonance product: rad(m)×Ω(m)=(2p)×4=8p=m\text{rad}(m) \times \Omega(m) = (2p) \times 4 = 8p = m So every 8p8p with pp an odd prime also belongs, giving terms like 24,40,56,88,104,136,152,24, 40, 56, 88, 104, 136, 152, \dots

Both families intersect A096156 (numbers of the form p2qp^2 q) and A366825 — which is really just telling us why composite terms need at least one exponent equal to 1.


2.2 Non-conforming composites and high-Ω\Omega trajectories

Call S20260704S_{20260704} (cataloged as A396157) the subsequence of composites in A396594 that don’t fit prime powers or the 8p8p/9p9p pattern. It starts:

1050,1260,1650,1950,1980,2340,2550,2772,2850,3060,3276,3420,3450,3850,1050, 1260, 1650, 1950, 1980, 2340, 2550, 2772, 2850, 3060, 3276, 3420, 3450, 3850, \dots

Index (nn)Term a(n)a(n)FactorizationRadical rad(a(n))\text{rad}(a(n))Ω(a(n))\Omega(a(n))rad×Ω\text{rad} \times \Omega
14222^2222×2=42 \times 2 = 4
23810502×3×52×72 \times 3 \times 5^2 \times 72105210×5=1050210 \times 5 = 1050
277126022×32×5×72^2 \times 3^2 \times 5 \times 72106210×6=1260210 \times 6 = 1260
34916502×3×52×112 \times 3 \times 5^2 \times 113305330×5=1650330 \times 5 = 1650
403198022×32×5×112^2 \times 3^2 \times 5 \times 113306330×6=1980330 \times 6 = 1980
28871848024×3×5×7×112^4 \times 3 \times 5 \times 7 \times 11231082310×8=184802310 \times 8 = 18480
263572102102×3×5×72×11×132 \times 3 \times 5 \times 7^2 \times 11 \times 1330030730030×7=21021030030 \times 7 = 210210
46742245945902×33×5×7×11×13×172 \times 3^3 \times 5 \times 7 \times 11 \times 13 \times 175105109510510×9=4594590510510 \times 9 = 4594590

Observation on primorial intersections

There’s a neat intersection between A396594 and numbers with a primorial kernel (A055932). For kk in that intersection, the kernel ratio just equals Ω(k)\Omega(k):

krad(k)=Ω(k)\frac{k}{\text{rad}(k)} = \Omega(k)

Looking at the irregular triangle T(n,j)=A002110(n)×jT(n, j) = \text{A002110}(n) \times j (where A002110 gives the primorials 2,6,30,210,2310,2, 6, 30, 210, 2310, \dots), a solution exists exactly when Ω(T(n,j))=j\Omega(T(n, j)) = j. That alone generates arbitrarily large-Ω\Omega solutions:

  • (n=1,j=2)    2×2=4(n=1, j=2) \implies 2 \times 2 = 4
  • (n=2,j=3)    6×3=18(n=2, j=3) \implies 6 \times 3 = 18
  • (n=2,j=4)    6×4=24(n=2, j=4) \implies 6 \times 4 = 24
  • (n=4,j=5)    210×5=1050(n=4, j=5) \implies 210 \times 5 = 1050
  • (n=4,j=6)    210×6=1260(n=4, j=6) \implies 210 \times 6 = 1260
  • (n=5,j=8)    2310×8=18480(n=5, j=8) \implies 2310 \times 8 = 18480
  • (n=7,j=9)    510510×9=4594590(n=7, j=9) \implies 510510 \times 9 = 4594590
  • (n=12,j=13)    7420738134810×13=96469595752530(n=12, j=13) \implies 7420738134810 \times 13 = 96469595752530

Checking 30,00030,000 terms of A396157 by computer, every non-conforming composite satisfies the strict inequality:

rad(k)×Ω(k)<rad(k)2    Ω(k)<rad(k)\text{rad}(k) \times \Omega(k) < \text{rad}(k)^2 \implies \Omega(k) < \text{rad}(k)


3. Proofs of structural boundaries in A396594

Now for the boundary proofs — how A396594 relates to powerful numbers (A001694) and squarefree numbers (A005117).

Theorem 1 (the powerful number boundary)

k=4k = 4 is the only powerful number in A396594. It follows that A396594 shares no elements with the Achilles numbers (A052486).

Proof by kernel scaling

  1. If kk is powerful (A001694), every prime factor has exponent 2\ge 2, so the square of the radical divides kk:

rad(k)2k    krad(k)2    krad(k)\text{rad}(k)^2 \mid k \implies k \ge \text{rad}(k)^2 \implies \sqrt{k} \ge \text{rad}(k)

  1. Dividing krad(k)2k \ge \text{rad}(k)^2 by rad(k)\text{rad}(k) gives the baseline constraint for powerful numbers:

krad(k)rad(k)\frac{k}{\text{rad}(k)} \ge \text{rad}(k)

  1. Membership in A396594 requires k/rad(k)=Ω(k)k / \text{rad}(k) = \Omega(k). Plugging that in, any powerful member must satisfy:

Ω(k)rad(k)\Omega(k) \ge \text{rad}(k)

  1. To see whether that’s even possible, minimize rad(k)\text{rad}(k) for a given h=ω(k)h = \omega(k) by picking the primorial kernel rad(k)=Ph=A002110(h)\text{rad}(k) = P_h = \text{A002110}(h).
  • h=1h = 1 (rad(k)=2\text{rad}(k) = 2): these are prime powers k=2mk = 2^m. We need 2m/2=Ω(2m)2^m / 2 = \Omega(2^m), i.e. 2m1=m2^{m-1} = m. m=1m=1: 20=102^0 = 1 \ne 0, fails. m=2m=2: 21=22^1 = 2 — works, giving k=4=22k = 4 = 2^2. For m3m \ge 3, exponential growth outpaces linear growth (2m1>m2^{m-1} > m), so no further powers of 2 qualify.
  • h=2h = 2 (rad(k)=2×3=6\text{rad}(k) = 2 \times 3 = 6): the smallest powerful number here is k=62=36k = 6^2 = 36. rad(36)=6\text{rad}(36) = 6, Ω(36)=4\Omega(36) = 4, so 36/rad(36)=6>4=Ω(36)36 / \text{rad}(36) = 6 > 4 = \Omega(36) — the quotient is already ahead. Multiplying by a prime p{2,3}p \in \{2, 3\} bumps Ω(k)\Omega(k) by just 11 but scales the quotient by pp. So the gap only grows:

kprad(k)Ω(kp)=pkrad(k)(Ω(k)+1)>0\frac{k \cdot p}{\text{rad}(k)} - \Omega(k \cdot p) = p\frac{k}{\text{rad}(k)} - (\Omega(k) + 1) > 0

  • h3h \ge 3 (rad(k)30\text{rad}(k) \ge 30): at h=3h=3, the smallest powerful number is 302=90030^2 = 900, where rad(900)=30\text{rad}(900) = 30 and Ω(900)=6\Omega(900) = 6 — already a 5×5\times gap. As hh grows, the primorial A002110(h)\text{A002110}(h) grows super-exponentially (e(1+o(1))hlnhe^{(1+o(1))h \ln h}), while Ω(k)\Omega(k) only grows logarithmically relative to kk. The gap only widens further.
  1. So rad(k)>Ω(k)\text{rad}(k) > \Omega(k) for every powerful number except k=4k=4. Since every Achilles number (A052486) is powerful and greater than 4 (the smallest is 72=23×3272 = 2^3 \times 3^2), none of them can appear in A396594. \blacksquare

The Squarefree Boundary

The only squarefree numbers (A005117) in A396594 are the primes (A000040).

Proof by contradiction:

  1. Let k>1k > 1 be squarefree. No exponent exceeds 1, so rad(k)=k\text{rad}(k) = k.
  2. Every prime factor has multiplicity 1, so Ω(k)=ω(k)\Omega(k) = \omega(k).
  3. Suppose kk belongs to A396594, so it satisfies:

k=rad(k)×Ω(k)k = \text{rad}(k) \times \Omega(k)

  1. Substitute rad(k)=k\text{rad}(k) = k and Ω(k)=ω(k)\Omega(k) = \omega(k):

k=k×ω(k)    ω(k)=1k = k \times \omega(k) \implies \omega(k) = 1

  1. The only squarefree integers with ω(k)=1\omega(k) = 1 are the primes themselves.
  2. For any composite squarefree number (like k=6,10,14,15,k = 6, 10, 14, 15, \dots, catalogued in A120944), ω(k)2\omega(k) \ge 2, which gives:

rad(k)×Ω(k)=k×ω(k)2k>k\text{rad}(k) \times \Omega(k) = k \times \omega(k) \ge 2k > k

So no composite squarefree number can satisfy the identity. \blacksquare

Corollary 1 (squaremid subset)

Let C\mathcal{C} be the composite terms of A396594 excluding 44. Since C\mathcal{C} has no squarefree numbers (Theorem 2) and no powerful numbers (Theorem 1), every term in C\mathcal{C} is both non-squarefree and non-powerful — meaning:

(A396594A175787){4}A332785\left( \text{A396594} \setminus \text{A175787} \right) \setminus \{4\} \subset \text{A332785}

where A175787 is the primes plus 11, and A332785 is the squaremid domain.


4. Partitioning the “squaremid” universe (A332785)

A332785 collects the numbers kk that are neither squarefree nor powerful. In terms of the kernel ratio:

A332785={kZ+:rad(k)2kω(k)<Ω(k)}\text{A332785} = \left\{ k \in \mathbb{Z}^+ : \text{rad}(k)^2 \nmid k \land \omega(k) < \Omega(k) \right\}

We can split this domain into three pieces by intersecting with the radical-prime resonance functions.

4.1 Definition of the partition sets

  • Block 1: V7917V_{7917} — The ω\omega-Resonant Squaremid Numbers (A397499): A332785 intersected with A397221 (where k=rad(k)×ω(k)k = \text{rad}(k) \times \omega(k)):

V7917={kA332785:krad(k)=ω(k)}V_{7917} = \left\{ k \in \text{A332785} : \frac{k}{\text{rad}(k)} = \omega(k) \right\}

First terms: 12,20,28,44,52,68,76,90,92,116,124,126,148,164,172,188,198,212,12, 20, 28, 44, 52, 68, 76, 90, 92, 116, 124, 126, 148, 164, 172, 188, 198, 212, \dots

  • Block 2: V7918V_{7918} — The Ω\Omega-Resonant Squaremid Numbers (A397500): A332785 intersected with A396594 (where k=rad(k)×Ω(k)k = \text{rad}(k) \times \Omega(k)):

V7918={kA332785:krad(k)=Ω(k)}V_{7918} = \left\{ k \in \text{A332785} : \frac{k}{\text{rad}(k)} = \Omega(k) \right\}

First terms: 18,24,40,45,56,63,88,99,104,117,136,152,153,171,184,207,232,248,18, 24, 40, 45, 56, 63, 88, 99, 104, 117, 136, 152, 153, 171, 184, 207, 232, 248, \dots

  • Block 3: V7919V_{7919} — The Non-Resonant Squaremid Remainder (A396367): Everything left over — terms that resonate with neither prime-counting metric:

V7919=A332785(V7917V7918)V_{7919} = \text{A332785} \setminus \left( V_{7917} \cup V_{7918} \right)

First terms: 48,50,54,60,75,80,84,96,98,112,120,132,135,140,147,150,156,160,48, 50, 54, 60, 75, 80, 84, 96, 98, 112, 120, 132, 135, 140, 147, 150, 156, 160, \dots


4.2 Theorem 3 (strict disjunction of resonant blocks)

V7917V_{7917} (A397499) and V7918V_{7918} (A397500) don’t overlap: V7917V7918=V_{7917} \cap V_{7918} = \emptyset.

Proof by contradiction:

  1. Suppose some nA332785n \in \text{A332785} belongs to both V7917V_{7917} and V7918V_{7918}.
  2. Membership in V7917V_{7917} requires:

rad(n)×ω(n)=n\text{rad}(n) \times \omega(n) = n

  1. Membership in V7918V_{7918} requires:

rad(n)×Ω(n)=n\text{rad}(n) \times \Omega(n) = n

  1. Setting these equal:

rad(n)×ω(n)=rad(n)×Ω(n)\text{rad}(n) \times \omega(n) = \text{rad}(n) \times \Omega(n)

  1. Since nA332785n \in \text{A332785} means n12n \ge 12, we know rad(n)6>0\text{rad}(n) \ge 6 > 0, so we can divide both sides by rad(n)\text{rad}(n):

ω(n)=Ω(n)\omega(n) = \Omega(n)

  1. But ω(n)=Ω(n)\omega(n) = \Omega(n) holds only when nn is squarefree (A005117).
  2. A332785 excludes squarefree numbers entirely — every element has at least one prime factor with multiplicity 2\ge 2, so:

Ω(k)>ω(k)\Omega(k) > \omega(k)

  1. That’s a direct contradiction with step 6. So no integer belongs to both sets. \blacksquare

Asymptotic density distribution

Checking the distribution of these blocks across the first N=220=1,048,576N = 2^{20} = 1,048,576 integers shows a fairly lopsided split. Of the 409,043409,043 terms of A332785 below 2202^{20}:

  • Block V7917V_{7917} (A397499): 39,95839,958 terms (9.77%\approx 9.77\%).
  • Block V7918V_{7918} (A397500): 22,83122,831 terms (5.58%\approx 5.58\%).
  • Block V7919V_{7919} (A396367): 346,254346,254 terms (84.65%\approx 84.65\%).

5. Generalized ff-resonance and the naked prime constraint

To avoid this framework collapsing into a set of one-off tricks for isolated sequences, it’s worth generalizing beyond specific prime-counting functions to the broader tension between prime multiplicities and arbitrary arithmetic functions.

Let f(k)f(k) be any arithmetic function with polynomial growth relative to Ω(k)\Omega(k) — that is, some constant c1c \ge 1 with:

f(k)Ω(k)cf(k) \le \Omega(k)^c

Call an integer k>1k > 1 ff-resonant if:

k=rad(k)×f(k)    krad(k)=f(k)k = \text{rad}(k) \times f(k) \iff \frac{k}{\text{rad}(k)} = f(k)

This covers A397221 (f=ωf = \omega), A396594 (f=Ωf = \Omega), and opens the door to similar sequences built on the divisor function d(k)d(k) (A000005) or sum of prime factors sopf(k)\text{sopf}(k) (A001414).


5.1 Theorem 4 (the naked prime constraint for greatest prime factors)

For kV7917k \in V_{7917} (A397499), the greatest prime factor g=gpf(k)g = \text{gpf}(k) (A006530) is always “naked” — its multiplicity is exactly 11 (g2kg^2 \nmid k).

Proof by modular divisibility

  1. Let kV7917k \in V_{7917} have factorization k=p1a1pmamk = p_1^{a_1} \cdots p_m^{a_m} with p1<p2<<pmp_1 < p_2 < \dots < p_m. So g=pmg = p_m.
  2. Suppose gg is not naked, i.e. am2a_m \ge 2, so g2kg^2 \mid k.
  3. The kernel quotient then carries an exponent of am11a_m - 1 \ge 1 on gg:

krad(k)=p1a11gam1\frac{k}{\text{rad}(k)} = p_1^{a_1 - 1} \cdots g^{a_m - 1}

  1. So gg must divide the kernel ratio:

g  krad(k)g \ \Big| \ \frac{k}{\text{rad}(k)}

  1. By definition of V7917V_{7917}, that kernel ratio equals ω(k)=m\omega(k) = m. So:

gm    gmg \mid m \implies g \le m

  1. But the mm-th prime is always strictly greater than its index mm (e.g. p1=2>1p_1 = 2 > 1, p2=3>2p_2 = 3 > 2, p3=5>3p_3 = 5 > 3), so:

g=pm>m=ω(k)g = p_m > m = \omega(k)

  1. A prime can’t divide a smaller positive integer, so gω(k)g \mid \omega(k) is impossible.
  2. So am2a_m \ge 2 can’t hold — gg must have multiplicity 1, making g2kg^2 \nmid k true across all of Block 1. \blacksquare

(For Block 2, V7918V_{7918} / A397500, this holds for every composite term except k=18=2×32k = 18 = 2 \times 3^2, where gpf(18)=3\text{gpf}(18) = 3 divides Ω(18)=3\Omega(18) = 3. For k>18k > 18 it holds without exception.)


5.2 Theorem 5 (logarithmic upper bounds on prime multiplicities)

If k=piaik = \prod p_i^{a_i} is ff-resonant under a polynomial-growth function f(k)Ω(k)cf(k) \le \Omega(k)^c, then no prime exponent apa_p can exceed:

ap1+clog2(Ω(k))a_p \le 1 + c \log_2(\Omega(k))

Proof:

  1. By ff-resonance, the kernel quotient equals f(k)f(k):

pkpap1=f(k)\prod_{p \mid k} p^{a_p - 1} = f(k)

  1. And f(k)Ω(k)cf(k) \le \Omega(k)^c, so:

pkpap1Ω(k)c\prod_{p \mid k} p^{a_p - 1} \le \Omega(k)^c

  1. Every factor pap1p^{a_p - 1} in that product is 1\ge 1 (since p2p \ge 2), so no single term can exceed the whole product:

pap1i=1mpiai1Ω(k)cp^{a_p - 1} \le \prod_{i=1}^{m} p_i^{a_i - 1} \le \Omega(k)^c

  1. Take log2\log_2 of both sides of pap1Ω(k)cp^{a_p - 1} \le \Omega(k)^c:

(ap1)log2(p)clog2(Ω(k))(a_p - 1) \log_2(p) \le c \log_2(\Omega(k))

  1. Since the smallest prime is 22, log2(p)1\log_2(p) \ge 1 always, so:

(ap1)(1)(ap1)log2(p)clog2(Ω(k))(a_p - 1)(1) \le (a_p - 1) \log_2(p) \le c \log_2(\Omega(k))

  1. Isolating apa_p:

ap1+clog2(Ω(k))  a_p \le 1 + c \log_2(\Omega(k)) \ \ \blacksquare

Specialization to A396594 and A397221

For our two sequences (A396594 with f=Ωf = \Omega, A397221 with f=ωf = \omega), c=1c = 1 exactly. So the hard limit on any prime multiplicity in these sequences is:

ap1+log2(Ω(k))a_p \le 1 + \log_2(\Omega(k))

Which explains why an exponent of ap=4a_p = 4 only shows up once Ω(k)241=8\Omega(k) \ge 2^{4-1} = 8 — that’s why high exponents only appear in large terms like k=18480k = 18480 (Ω=8\Omega = 8, containing 242^4).


5.3 Theorem 6 (the asymptotic naked prime law)

In any ff-resonant integer kk with f(k)Ω(k)cf(k) \le \Omega(k)^c, a prime factor pp larger than Ω(k)c\Omega(k)^c is forced to have multiplicity exactly 11.

Proof by contradiction

  1. Suppose some prime pkp \mid k has p>Ω(k)cp > \Omega(k)^c but isn’t naked — i.e. ap2a_p \ge 2.
  2. Then ap11a_p - 1 \ge 1.
  3. Since pp is an integer 2\ge 2, raising it to a power 1\ge 1 gives at least pp itself:

pap1p1=pp^{a_p - 1} \ge p^1 = p

  1. Combined with p>Ω(k)cp > \Omega(k)^c:

pap1p>Ω(k)c    pap1>Ω(k)cp^{a_p - 1} \ge p > \Omega(k)^c \implies p^{a_p - 1} > \Omega(k)^c

  1. But Theorem 5 (step 3) already showed:

pap1i=1mpiai1=f(k)Ω(k)cp^{a_p - 1} \le \prod_{i=1}^{m} p_i^{a_i - 1} = f(k) \le \Omega(k)^c

  1. That’s a contradiction — Ω(k)c<pap1Ω(k)c\Omega(k)^c < p^{a_p - 1} \le \Omega(k)^c can’t both be true.
  2. So ap2a_p \ge 2 is impossible. Any prime factor above Ω(k)c\Omega(k)^c must have exponent exactly 11. \blacksquare

6. Structural resonance when ω(k)\omega(k) is prime

Last piece: how rigid does Block 1 (V7917V_{7917} / A397499) get when ω(k)\omega(k) itself is a prime (A000040)?

Theorem 7 (prime-index rigidity)

Let kV7917k \in V_{7917} with ω(k)=q\omega(k) = q, qq prime. Then kk has exactly one non-squarefree prime factor — and it has to be qq itself, with multiplicity exactly 22 (aq=2a_q = 2). Every other one of the ω(k)1\omega(k) - 1 prime factors is linear (ai=1a_i = 1).

Proof:

  1. By definition of V7917V_{7917}, the kernel ratio equals the distinct prime count:

krad(k)=i=1mpiai1=ω(k)=q\frac{k}{\text{rad}(k)} = \prod_{i=1}^{m} p_i^{a_i - 1} = \omega(k) = q

  1. Since qq is prime, its only divisor greater than 1 is itself. So the product piai1\prod p_i^{a_i - 1} has to equal q1q^1.
  2. By unique factorization, that only happens if:
  • exactly one term has base pj=qp_j = q with exponent aj1=1a_j - 1 = 1, i.e. aj=2a_j = 2,
  • every other term has exponent ai1=0a_i - 1 = 0, i.e. ai=1a_i = 1.
  1. So kk‘s factorization is forced into this rigid shape:

k=q2×i=1piqqpik = q^2 \times \prod_{\substack{i=1 \\ p_i \ne q}}^{q} p_i

with exactly qq distinct prime factors total. \blacksquare

Empirical verification

This shows up cleanly in the early prime-index terms of Block 1 (A397499):

  • k=12k = 12: ω(12)=ω(22×3)=2\omega(12) = \omega(2^2 \times 3) = 2 (prime). The repeated prime is 22, with exponent 22.
  • k=20k = 20: ω(20)=ω(22×5)=2\omega(20) = \omega(2^2 \times 5) = 2 (prime). Repeated prime is 22, exponent 22.
  • k=28k = 28: ω(28)=ω(22×7)=2\omega(28) = \omega(2^2 \times 7) = 2 (prime). Repeated prime is 22, exponent 22.
  • k=315k = 315: ω(315)=ω(32×5×7)=3\omega(315) = \omega(3^2 \times 5 \times 7) = 3 (prime). Repeated prime is 33, exponent 22, and the other two (55 and 77) are naked.

7. Conclusion and future directions

Formalizing A396594 and its overlap with the squaremid universe A332785 shows that radical-prime resonance identities put fairly tight constraints on prime factorizations.

Powerful numbers (A001694) and squarefree numbers (A005117) act as hard outer boundaries, which lets us isolate the composite core into three partition blocks (A397499, A397500, A396367). The generalization to ff-resonant integers gives logarithmic growth limits and the asymptotic naked prime law, though there’s likely more structure here than we’ve captured.

Worth chasing next:

  1. How the density ratio V7917(X)/V7918(X)|V_{7917}(X)| / |V_{7918}(X)| behaves asymptotically as XX \to \infty.
  2. Whether an upper bound exists for the least prime factor lpf(k)\text{lpf}(k) among non-conforming composite trajectories (A396157).
  3. What resonance sequences built from non-additive functions look like — Euler’s totient ϕ(k)\phi(k) (A000010) and Dedekind’s psi function ψ(k)\psi(k) (A001615) seem like natural next candidates.

  • A000010: Euler’s totient function ϕ(n)\phi(n).
  • A000040: The prime numbers.
  • A001221: Number of distinct prime factors ω(n)\omega(n).
  • A001222: Total number of prime factors Ω(n)\Omega(n).
  • A001597: Perfect powers kmk^m (m>1m > 1).
  • A001694: Powerful (or squareful) numbers.
  • A002110: Primorial numbers (product of first nn primes).
  • A003557: The kernel quotient n/rad(n)n / \text{rad}(n).
  • A005117: Squarefree numbers.
  • A006530: Greatest prime factor gpf(n)\text{gpf}(n).
  • A007947: Squarefree kernel rad(n)\text{rad}(n).
  • A020639: Least prime factor lpf(n)\text{lpf}(n).
  • A052486: Achilles numbers (powerful but not perfect powers).
  • A055932: Numbers with a primorial squarefree kernel.
  • A096156: Numbers of the form p2qp^2 q with primes p<qp < q.
  • A120944: Composite squarefree numbers.
  • A175787: Prime numbers and 11.
  • A332785: “Squaremid” numbers (neither squarefree nor powerful).
  • A366825: Numbers where canonical prime exponents are setwise coprime with at least one unity.
  • A396157: Non-conforming composite terms of A396594 (S20260704S_{20260704}).
  • A396367: The non-resonant squaremid remainder (V7919V_{7919}).
  • A396594: Numbers satisfying k=rad(k)×Ω(k)k = \text{rad}(k) \times \Omega(k).
  • A397221: Numbers satisfying k=rad(k)×ω(k)k = \text{rad}(k) \times \omega(k).
  • A397499: The ω\omega-resonant squaremid partition block (V7917V_{7917}).
  • A397500: The Ω\Omega-resonant squaremid partition block (V7918V_{7918}).