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7.2.22

A new approach to odd perfect numbers via GCDs

Here is the Scribd link.  (This same document has likewise been uploaded to Academia.)

Update (February 17, 2022 - 9:39 AM [Manila time]):  This article has just been announced on math.NT in arXiv.

Here is the abstract:

Let $q^k n^2$ be an odd perfect number with special prime $q$.  Define the GCDs

$$G = \gcd\bigg(\sigma(q^k),\sigma(n^2)\bigg)$$

$$H = \gcd\bigg(n^2,\sigma(n^2)\bigg)$$

and

$$I = \gcd\bigg(n,\sigma(n^2)\bigg).$$

We prove that $G \times H = I^2$.  (Note that it is trivial to show that $G \mid I$ and $I \mid H$ both hold.)  We then compute expressions for $G, H,$ and $I$ in terms of $\sigma(q^k)/2, n,$ and $\gcd\bigg(\sigma(q^k)/2,n\bigg)$.  Afterwards, we prove that if $G = H = I$, then $\sigma(q^k)/2$ is not squarefree.  Other natural and related results are derived further.  Lastly, we conjecture that the set

$$\mathscr{A} = \{m : \gcd(m,\sigma(m^2))=\gcd(m^2,\sigma(m^2))\}$$

has asymptotic density zero.