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Strmer’s theorem

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In number theory, Strmer’s theorem, named after Carl Strmer, gives a finite bound on the number of cons
ecutive pairs of smooth numbers that exist, for a given degree of smoothness, and provides a method for
finding all such pairs using Pell equations. It follows from the ThueSiegelRoth theorem that there are only
a finite number of pairs of this type, but Strmer gave a procedure for finding them all.[1]

Statement
If one chooses a finite set
?
=
{
?
1
,
?
2
,

?
?
}
{\displaystyle P=\{p_{1},p_{2},\dots p_{k}\}} of prime numbers then the P-smooth numbers are defined as t
he set of integers
{
?
1
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1
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2
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2
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|
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{
0
,
1
,
2
,

}
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{\displaystyle \left\{p_{1}^{e_{1}}p_{2}^{e_{2}}\cdots p_{k}^{e_{k}}\mid e_{i}\in \{0,1,2,\ldots \}\right\}}
that can be generated by products of numbers in P. Then Strmer’s theorem states that, for every choice o
f P, there are only finitely many pairs of consecutive P-smooth numbers. Further, it gives a method of findi
ng them all using Pell equations.

The procedure
Strmer’s original procedure involves solving a set of roughly 3k Pell equations, in each one finding only th
e smallest solution. A simplified version of the procedure, due to D. H. Lehmer,[2] is described below; it so
lves fewer equations but finds more solutions in each equation.

Let P be the given set of primes, and define a number to be P-smooth if all its prime factors belong to P. A
ssume p1 = 2; otherwise there could be no consecutive P-smooth numbers, because all P-smooth numbe
rs would be odd. Lehmer’s method involves solving the Pell equation

?
2
-
2
?
?
2
=
1
{\displaystyle x^{2}-2qy^{2}=1}
for each P-smooth square-free number q other than 2. Each such number q is generated as a product of
a subset of P, so there are 2k - 1 Pell equations to solve. For each such equation, let xi, yi be the generat
ed solutions, for i in the range from 1 to max(3, (pk + 1)/2) (inclusive), where pk is the largest of the prime
s in P.

Then, as Lehmer shows, all consecutive pairs of P-smooth numbers are of the form (xi - 1)/2, (xi + 1)/2. T
hus one can find all such pairs by testing the numbers of this form for P-smoothness.

Example
To find the ten consecutive pairs of {2,3,5}-smooth numbers (in music theory, giving the superparticular ra
tios for just tuning) let P = {2,3,5}. There are seven P-smooth squarefree numbers q (omitting the eighth P
-smooth squarefree number, 2): 1, 3, 5, 6, 10, 15, and 30, each of which leads to a Pell equation. The nu
mber of solutions per Pell equation required by Lehmer’s method is max(3, (5 + 1)/2) = 3, so this method
generates three solutions to each Pell equation, as follows.

For q = 1, the first three solutions to the Pell equation x2 - 2y2 = 1 are (3,2), (17,12), and (99,70). Thus, fo
r each of the three values xi = 3, 17, and 99, Lehmer’s method tests the pair (xi - 1)/2, (xi + 1)/2 for smoot
hness; the three pairs to be tested are (1,2), (8,9), and (49,50). Both (1,2) and (8,9) are pairs of consecuti
ve P-smooth numbers, but (49,50) is not, as 49 has 7 as a prime factor.
For q = 3, the first three solutions to the Pell equation x2 - 6y2 = 1 are (5,2), (49,20), and (485,198). From
the three values xi = 5, 49, and 485 Lehmer’s method forms the three candidate pairs of consecutive num
bers (xi - 1)/2, (xi + 1)/2: (2,3), (24,25), and (242,243). Of these, (2,3) and (24,25) are pairs of consecutive
P-smooth numbers but (242,243) is not.
For q = 5, the first three solutions to the Pell equation x2 - 10y2 = 1 are (19,6), (721,228), and (27379,865
8). The Pell solution (19,6) leads to the pair of consecutive P-smooth numbers (9,10); the other two soluti
ons to the Pell equation do not lead to P-smooth pairs.
For q = 6, the first three solutions to the Pell equation x2 - 12y2 = 1 are (7,2), (97,28), and (1351,390). Th
e Pell solution (7,2) leads to the pair of consecutive P-smooth numbers (3,4).
For q = 10, the first three solutions to the Pell equation x2 - 20y2 = 1 are (9,2), (161,36), and (2889,646).
The Pell solution (9,2) leads to the pair of consecutive P-smooth numbers (4,5) and the Pell solution (161,
36) leads to the pair of consecutive P-smooth numbers (80,81).
For q = 15, the first three solutions to the Pell equation x2 - 30y2 = 1 are (11,2), (241,44), and (5291,966).
The Pell solution (11,2) leads to the pair of consecutive P-smooth numbers (5,6).
For q = 30, the first three solutions to the Pell equation x2 - 60y2 = 1 are (31,4), (1921,248), and (119071,
15372). The Pell solution (31,4) leads to the pair of consecutive P-smooth numbers (15,16).
Counting solutions
Strmer’s original result can be used to show that the number of consecutive pairs of integers that are smo
oth with respect to a set of k primes is at most 3k - 2k. Lehmer’s result produces a tighter bound for sets o
f small primes: (2k - 1) max(3,(pk+1)/2).[2]

The number of consecutive pairs of integers that are smooth with respect to the first k primes are

1, 4, 10, 23, 40, 68, 108, 167, 241, 345, ... (sequence A002071 in the OEIS).
The largest integer from all these pairs, for each k, is

2, 9, 81, 4375, 9801, 123201, 336141, 11859211, ... (sequence A117581 in the OEIS).
OEIS also lists the number of pairs of this type where the larger of the two integers in the pair is square (s
equence A117582 in the OEIS) or triangular (sequence A117583 in the OEIS), as both types of pair arise
frequently.

Generalizations and applications

Louis Mordell wrote about this result, saying that it "is very pretty, and there are many applications of it."[3
]

In mathematics
Chein (1976) used Strmer’s method to prove Catalan’s conjecture on the nonexistence of consecutive per
fect powers (other than 8,9) in the case where one of the two powers is a square.
Mabkhout (1993) proved that every number x4 + 1, for x > 3, has a prime factor greater than or equal to 1
37. Strmer’s theorem is an important part of his proof, in which he reduces the problem to the solution of 1
28 Pell equations.

Several authors have extended Strmer’s work by providing methods for listing the solutions to more gener
al diophantine equations, or by providing more general divisibility criteria for the solutions to Pell equation
s.[4]

Conrey, Holmstrom & McLaughlin (2013) describe a computational procedure that, empirically, finds man
y but not all of the consecutive pairs of smooth numbers described by Strmer’s theorem, and is much fast
er than using Pell’s equation to find all solutions.

In music theory
In the musical practice of just intonation, musical intervals can be described as ratios between positive int
egers. More specifically, they can be described as ratios between members of the harmonic series. Any
musical tone can be broken into its fundamental frequency and harmonic frequencies, which are integer
multiples of the fundamental. This series is conjectured to be the basis of natural harmony and melody. T
he tonal complexity of ratios between these harmonics is said to get more complex with higher prime fact
ors. To limit this tonal complexity, an interval is said to be n-limit when both its numerator and denominato
r are n-smooth.[5] Furthermore, superparticular ratios are very important in just tuning theory as they repr
esent ratios between adjacent members of the harmonic series.[6]

Strmer’s theorem allows all possible superparticular ratios in a given limit to be found. For example, in the
3-limit (Pythagorean tuning), the only possible superparticular ratios are 2/1 (the octave), 3/2 (the perfect
fifth), 4/3 (the perfect fourth), and 9/8 (the whole step). That is, the only pairs of consecutive integers that
have only powers of two and three in their prime factorizations are (1,2), (2,3), (3,4), and (8,9). If this is ex
tended to the 5-limit, six additional superparticular ratios are available: 5/4 (the major third), 6/5 (the minor
third), 10/9 (the minor tone), 16/15 (the minor second), 25/24 (the minor semitone), and 81/80 (the synton
ic comma). All are musically meaningful.

Notes
Strmer (1897).
Lehmer (1964).
As quoted by Chapman (1958).
In particular see Cao (1991), Luo (1991), Mei & Sun (1997), Sun & Yuan (1989), and Walker (1967).
Partch (1974).
Halsey & Hewitt (1972).
References
Cao, Zhen Fu (1991). "On the Diophantine equation (axm - 1)/(abx-1) = by2". Chinese Sci. Bull. 36 (4): 27
5278. MR 1138803.
Chapman, Sydney (1958). "Fredrik Carl Mulertz Stormer, 1874-1957". Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of
the Royal Society. 4: 257279. doi:10.1098/rsbm.1958.0021. JSTOR 769515.
Chein, E. Z. (1976). "A note on the equation x2 = yq + 1". Proceedings of the American Mathematical Soc
iety. 56 (1): 8384. doi:10.2307/2041579. JSTOR 2041579. MR 0404133.
Conrey, J. B.; Holmstrom, M. A.; McLaughlin, T. L. (2013). "Smooth neighbors". Experimental Mathematic
s. 22 (2): 195202. arXiv:1212.5161. doi:10.1080/10586458.2013.768483. MR 3047912.
Halsey, G. D.; Hewitt, Edwin (1972). "More on the superparticular ratios in music". American Mathematica
l Monthly. 79 (10): 10961100. doi:10.2307/2317424. JSTOR 2317424. MR 0313189.
Lehmer, D. H. (1964). "On a Problem of Strmer". Illinois Journal of Mathematics. 8: 5779. doi:10.1215/ijm/
1256067456. MR 0158849.
Luo, Jia Gui (1991). "A generalization of the Strmer theorem and some applications". Sichuan Daxue Xue
bao. 28 (4): 469474. MR 1148835.
Mabkhout, M. (1993). "Minoration de P(x4+1)". Rend. Sem. Fac. Sci. Univ. Cagliari. 63 (2): 135148. MR 1
319302.
Mei, Han Fei; Sun, Sheng Fang (1997). "A further extension of Strmer’s theorem". Journal of Jishou Univ
ersity (Natural Science Edition) (in Chinese). 18 (3): 4244. MR 1490505.
Partch, Harry (1974). Genesis of a Music: An Account of a Creative Work, Its Roots, and Its Fulfillments (
2nd ed.). New York: Da Capo Press. p. 73. ISBN 0-306-71597-X.
Strmer, Carl (1897). "Quelques thormes sur l’quation de Pell
?
2
-
?
?
2
=

1
x^{2}-Dy^{2}=\pm 1 et leurs applications". Skrifter Videnskabs-selskabet (Christiania), Mat.-Naturv. Kl. I (2
).
Sun, Qi; Yuan, Ping Zhi (1989). "On the Diophantine equations
(
?
?
?
-
1
)
/
(
?
?
-
1
)
=
?
2
(ax^{n}-1)/(ax-1)=y^{2} and
(
?
?
?
+
1
)
/
(
?
?
+
1
)
=
?
2
(ax^{n}+1)/(ax+1)=y^{2}". Sichuan Daxue Xuebao. 26: 2024. MR 1059671.
Walker, D. T. (1967). "On the diophantine equation mX2 - nY2 = 1". American Mathematical Monthly. 74 (
5): 504513. doi:10.2307/2314877. JSTOR 2314877. MR 0211954.
Categories: Mathematics of musicTheorems in number theory
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