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Unitary perfect number

Unitary perfect number is a mathematics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Unitary perfect number rather than just read about it. In short: A unitary perfect number is an integer which is the sum of its positive proper unitary divisors, not including the number itself. (A divisor d of a number n is a unitary divisor if d and n/d share no common factors.) The number 6 is the only number that is both a perfect number and a unitary perfect number.

Key takeaways

  • Unitary perfect number belongs to mathematics; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Unitary perfect number to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Unitary perfect number from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A unitary perfect number is an integer which is the sum of its positive proper unitary divisors, not including the number itself. (A divisor d of a number n is a unitary divisor if d and n/d share no common factors.) The number 6 is the only number that is both a perfect number and a unitary perfect number.

Known examples The number 60 is a unitary perfect number because 1, 3, 4, 5, 12, 15, and 20 are its proper unitary divisors, and 1 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 12 + 15 + 20 = 60. The first five, and only known, unitary perfect numbers are:

6 = 2 × 3 {\displaystyle 6=2\times 3}

60 = 2 2 × 3 × 5 {\displaystyle 60=2^{2}\times 3\times 5}

90 = 2 × 3 2 × 5 {\displaystyle 90=2\times 3^{2}\times 5}

87360 = 2 6 × 3 × 5 × 7 × 13 {\displaystyle 87360=2^{6}\times 3\times 5\times 7\times 13} , and

146361946186458562560000 = 2 18 × 3 × 5 4 × 7 × 11 × 13 × 19 × 37 × 79 × 109 × 157 × 313 {\displaystyle 146361946186458562560000=2^{18}\times 3\times 5^{4}\times 7\times 11\times 13\times 19\times 37\times 79\times 109\times 157\times 313} (sequence A002827 in the OEIS). The respective sums of their proper unitary divisors are as follows:

6 = 1 + 2 + 3 60 = 1 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 12 + 15 + 20 90 = 1 + 2 + 5 + 9 + 10 + 18 + 45 87360 = 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + 13 + 15 + 21 + 35 + 39 + 64 + 65 + 91 + 105 + 192 + 195 + 273 + 320 + 448 + 455 + 832 + 960 + 1344 + 1365 + 2240 + 2496 + 4160 + 5824 + 6720 + 12480 + 17472 + 29120 146361946186458562560000 = 1 + 3 + 7 + 11 + ... + 13305631471496232960000 + 20908849455208366080000 + 48787315395486187520000 (4095 divisors in the sum)

Properties There are no odd unitary perfect numbers. This follows since 2d*(n) divides the sum of the unitary divisors of an odd number n, where d*(n) is the number of distinct prime factors of n. One gets this because the sum of all the unitary divisors is a multiplicative function and one has that the sum of the unitary divisors of a prime power pa is pa + 1 which is even for all odd primes p. Therefore, an odd unitary perfect number must have only one distinct prime factor, and it is not hard to show that a power of prime cannot be a unitary perfect number, since there are not enough divisors. It is not known whether or not there are infinitely many unitary perfect numbers, or indeed whether there are any further examples beyond the five already known. A sixth such number would have at least nine distinct odd prime factors.

References

Richard K. Guy (2004). Unsolved Problems in Number Theory. Springer-Verlag. pp. 84–86. ISBN 0-387-20860-7. Section B3. Paulo Ribenboim (2000). My Numbers, My Friends: Popular Lectures on Number Theory. Springer-Verlag. p. 352. ISBN 0-387-98911-0. Sándor, József; Mitrinović, Dragoslav S.; Crstici, Borislav, eds. (2006). Handbook of number theory I. Dordrecht: Springer-Verlag. ISBN 1-4020-4215-9. Zbl 1151.11300. Sándor, Jozsef; Crstici, Borislav (2004). Handbook of number theory II. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic. ISBN 1-4020-2546-7. Zbl 1079.11001.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Unitary perfect number

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Unitary perfect number claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In mathematics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Unitary perfect number before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Unitary perfect number ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Unitary perfect number

In research
Unitary perfect number appears in mathematics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Unitary perfect number in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Unitary perfect number is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Integer sequences, Perfect numbers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Unitary perfect number outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study Unitary perfect number in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Unitary perfect number means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Unitary perfect number out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Unitary perfect number in simple terms?

A unitary perfect number is an integer which is the sum of its positive proper unitary divisors, not including the number itself. (A divisor d of a number n is a unitary divisor if d and n/d share no common factors.) The number 6 is the only number that is both a perfect number and a unitary perfec…

Why does Unitary perfect number matter?

Because it connects several mathematics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Unitary perfect number?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Unitary perfect number.

Tags

  • Integer sequences
  • Perfect numbers

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