Is $7$ the largest possible value of $n$ for which $(1!+2!+3!+…n!)+16$ is a perfect power

elementary-number-theoryperfect-powerssquare-numbers

Is $7$ the largest possible value of $n$ for which $(1!+2!+3!+…n!)+16$ is a perfect power?

I noticed that $(7!+6!+5!+4!+3!+2!+1!)+16=77^2$ is a perfect power, and I don’t know if that is the largest possible value of $n$ for which $(1!+2!+3!+…n!)+16$ is a perfect power?

I can conclude that $(1!+2!+3!+…n!)+16$ is never a perfect cube if $n\geq6$, since it is equal to $4\pmod{9}$, but I don’t know if $(1!+2!+3!+…n!)+16$ can be a perfect square.

Since the last digit of $(1!+2!+3!+…n!)+16$ is $9$, I think it can be a perfect square if $n\geq8$, since the sum is $1\pmod{8}$, and $1\pmod{3}$.

I can also conclude that $(1!+2!+3!+…n!)+16$ cannot be a perfect 5th power if $n\geq10$, since $29$ is not a 5th power residue $\pmod{100}$.

Other than $3, 4, 5, 7$, are there any values of $n$ such that $(1!+2!+3!+…n!)+16$ is a perfect power?

Edit:

  • Since $3$ is not a 7th power residue $\pmod{29}$, $(1!+2!+3!+…n!)+16$ cannot be a perfect 7th power if $n\geq28$.

Best Answer

$$(1! + 2! + 3! + \ldots + n!) + 16 \equiv 14 \pmod{49}$$ for $n \ge 13$. So $(1! + 2! + 3! + \ldots + n!) + 16$ is not a perfect power if $n \ge 13$.