Question: Let n be a positive integer.

Prove that the number 2^2^n + {2^2^(n-1)}+ 1 can be

expressed as the product of at least n prime factors, not necessarily distinct.

Solution:

We prove this identity by induction on n.

Let p(n) state that this identity is true for n. Let an = 2^2^n + {2^2^(n-1)}+ 1.

Base Case: For n =1, 2^2^1 + 2^2^0 + 1 = 4+2+1 = 7 which can be expressed as the product of 1
prime number i.e 7. Thus the identity holds true for the base case of n =1.

Inductive Hypothesis: Let’s assume that p(k) holds true for n = k ∈ N.

Thus ak can be expressed as the product of at least k prime numbers.

a(k+1) = 2^2^(k+1) + 2^2^k+ 1

= 2^2^(k+1) – 2^2^k + 2^2^k – 2^2^(k-1) + 2^2^k + 2^2^(k-1) + 1

= 2^2^k (2^2^k – 1) + {2^2^(k-1)}{2^2^(k-1) -1} + 2^2^k + 2^2^(k-1) + 1

={2^2^(k-1)}{2^2^(k-1)}{2^2^(k-1) -1}{2^2^(k-1) + 1} + 2^2^(k-1) {2^2^(k-1) -1} + 2^2^k +

2^2^(k-1) + 1

= {2^2^(k-1)}{2^2^(k-1) -1}{2^2^k + 2^2^(k-1) + 1} + 2^2^k + 2^2^(k-1) + 1

= {2^2^k – 2^2^(k-1) + 1} {2^2^k + 2^2^(k-1) +1}.

Substituting the second term with ak gives;

a(k+1) = {2^2^k – 2^2^(k-1) +1}(ak).

Since 2^2^k – 2^2^(k-1) + 1 is always greater than 1 as 2^2^k must be greater than 2^2^(k-1) for all
positive integers k; it has at least 1 prime factor. Thus a(k+1) can be expressed as the product of at least
k+1 primes. This way we prove by induction that the identity is true for all positive integer values of
n.