Least Common Multiple and the product of a sequence of consecutive integers

elementary-number-theoryinequalityleast-common-multipleprime numbers

Let $x>0, n>0$ be integers.

Let LCM$(x+1, x+2, \dots, x+n)$ be the least common multiple of $x+1, x+2, \dots, x+n$.

Let $v_p(u)$ be the highest power of $p$ that divides $u$.

It seems to me that:

$$\frac{(x+1)(x+2)\times\dots\times(x+n)}{\text{LCM}(x+1, x+2, \dots, x+n)} \le (n-1)!$$

Here is my thinking:

  • Let $p$ be any prime that divides $(x+1)\times\dots\times(x+n)$.

  • Let $x+i$ be the integer in $\{x+1,x+2. \dots, x+n\}$ that is divisible by the highest power of $p$.

  • All integers in the sequence $\{x+1, x+2, x+3, \dots, x+n\}$ that are divisible by $p$ will have the form $x + i \pm ap$ where $0 < a \le \left\lfloor\dfrac{n-1}{p}\right\rfloor$.

  • $v_p\left(\dfrac{(x+1)(x+2)\times\dots\times(x+n)}{\text{LCM}(x+1,x+2,\dots,x+n)}\right) \le v_p(p) + v_p(2p) + \dots + v_p\left(\left\lfloor\dfrac{n-1}{p}\right\rfloor p\right) = v_p((n-1)!)$

  • So, it follows that the maximum power of $p$ that divides $\dfrac{(x+1)\times\dots\times(x+n)}{\text{LCM}(x+1,\dots,x+n)}$ is less than or equal to the maximum power of $p$ that divides $(n-1)!$


Edit: Made changes to third and fourth bullet point with an attempt to make them cleaner.

Based on feedback received.


Edit 2: I originally put the "same" power in the last bullet point. That is not correct. It should be less or equal. I have changed it.


Edit 3: Fixed a typo. n! should be (n-1)!.

Best Answer

Your claim is true according to a wiki page.

Changing $n,k$ to $x+n,n-1$ respectively in$$\binom nk\le\frac{\text{LCM}(n-k,n-k+1,\cdots, n)}{n-k}$$ we get $$\binom{x+n}{n-1}\le\frac{\text{LCM}(x+1,x+2,\cdots, x+n)}{x+1}$$ which is your claim.

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