Wednesday, 1 July 2026

Sphenic Number Chains

My previous post on the topic of chains of semiprimes in arithmetic progression prompted me to investigate similar chains formed by sphenic numbers. This time we are looking for the smallest sphenic number that is at the end of an arithmetic progression of \(n\) sphenic numbers as \(n\) ranges from 1 upwards. The result for \(n\) up to 18 is as follows (permalink):

30, 42, 102, 138, 174, 442, 1010, 2278, 2422, 6494, 10322, 10586, 12694, 21434, 28466, 56426, 62902, 145930

Let's look at 28466 that is at the end of a chain of 15 sphenic numbers with a common difference of 96 (permalink):

Arithmetic Progression of 15 Sphenic Numbers
Common Difference: 96
-------------------------------------------------------
Term   | Sphenic Number   | Factorisation
-------------------------------------------------------
1      | 27122            | 2 x 71 x 191
2      | 27218            | 2 x 31 x 439
3      | 27314            | 2 x 7 x 1951
4      | 27410            | 2 x 5 x 2741
5      | 27506            | 2 x 17 x 809
6      | 27602            | 2 x 37 x 373
7      | 27698            | 2 x 11 x 1259
8      | 27794            | 2 x 13 x 1069
9      | 27890            | 2 x 5 x 2789
10     | 27986            | 2 x 7 x 1999
11     | 28082            | 2 x 19 x 739
12     | 28178            | 2 x 73 x 193
13     | 28274            | 2 x 67 x 211
14     | 28370            | 2 x 5 x 2837
15     | 28466            | 2 x 43 x 331
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Other tables can be generated for the other values of \(n\) but the above table is the most relevant because it covers numbers (28274, 28370 and 28466) that are upcoming for me in terms of my diurnal age.

Here are the results for 16 sphenic numbers in arithmetic progression:

Arithmetic Progression of 16 Sphenic Numbers
Common Difference: 708
-------------------------------------------------------
Term   | Sphenic Number   | Factorisation
-------------------------------------------------------
1      | 45806            | 2 x 37 x 619
2      | 46514            | 2 x 13 x 1789
3      | 47222            | 2 x 7 x 3373
4      | 47930            | 2 x 5 x 4793
5      | 48638            | 2 x 83 x 293
6      | 49346            | 2 x 11 x 2243
7      | 50054            | 2 x 29 x 863
8      | 50762            | 2 x 17 x 1493
9      | 51470            | 2 x 5 x 5147
10     | 52178            | 2 x 7 x 3727
11     | 52886            | 2 x 31 x 853
12     | 53594            | 2 x 127 x 211
13     | 54302            | 2 x 19 x 1429
14     | 55010            | 2 x 5 x 5501
15     | 55718            | 2 x 13 x 2143
16     | 56426            | 2 x 89 x 317
-------------------------------------------------------

Semiprime Chains

My diurnal age today, 28213, is a member of OEIS A096003:


A096003: \( \textbf{smallest}\) semiprime which is at the \( \textbf{end}\) of an arithmetic progression of \(n\) semiprimes.

The initial terms of the sequence are:

4, 6, 14, 46, 58, 221, 445, 497, 1211, 1561, 4195, 4393, 6347, 10717, 14233, 28213, 31451, 72965

In the case of 28213, the chain is 16 semiprimes long with a common difference of 354 as shown in the table below  (permalink):

Semiprime    | Factors
------------------------------
22903        | 37 * 619
23257        | 13 * 1789
23611        | 7 * 3373
23965        | 5 * 4793
24319        | 83 * 293
24673        | 11 * 2243
25027        | 29 * 863
25381        | 17 * 1493
25735        | 5 * 5147
26089        | 7 * 3727
26443        | 31 * 853
26797        | 127 * 211
27151        | 19 * 1429
27505        | 5 * 5501
27859        | 13 * 2143
28213        | 89 * 317

The terms in comma separated form are:

22903, 23257, 23611, 23965, 24319, 24673, 25027, 25381, 25735, 26089, 26443, 26797, 27151, 27505, 27859, 28213

28213 is also an emirpimes since \(31282 = 2 \times 15641\) and even the factors of 28213 when concatenated from higher to lower form the semiprime \(31789 = 83 \times 383\).

The next term in OEIS A096003 after 29213 is 31451 and it is at the end of a chain of 17 semiprimes with a common difference of 1860 as shown in the table below (permalink)

Semiprime    | Factors
------------------------------
1691          | 19 * 89
3551          | 53 * 67
5411          | 7 * 773
7271          | 11 * 661
9131          | 23 * 397
10991        | 29 * 379
12851        | 71 * 181
14711        | 47 * 313
16571        | 73 * 227
18431        | 7 * 2633
20291        | 103 * 197
22151        | 17 * 1303
24011        | 13 * 1847
25871        | 41 * 631
27731        | 11 * 2521
29591        | 127 * 233
31451        | 7 * 4493

The terms in comma separated form are:

1691, 3551, 5411, 7271, 9131, 10991, 12851, 14711, 16571, 18431, 20291, 22151, 24011, 25871, 27731, 29591, 31451

After 31451 comes 72965 that is at the end of a chain of 18 semiprimes with a common difference of 3942 as shown in the table below (permalink):

Semiprime    | Factors
------------------------------
5951          | 11 * 541
9893          | 13 * 761
13835        | 5 * 2767
17777        | 29 * 613
21719        | 37 * 587
25661        | 67 * 383
29603        | 7 * 4229
33545        | 5 * 6709
37487        | 19 * 1973
41429        | 17 * 2437
45371        | 59 * 769
49313        | 11 * 4483
53255        | 5 * 10651
57197        | 7 * 8171
61139        | 13 * 4703
65081        | 151 * 431
69023        | 23 * 3001
72965        | 5 * 14593

The terms in comma separated form are:

5951, 9893, 13835, 17777, 21719, 25661, 29603, 33545, 37487, 41429, 45371, 49313, 53255, 57197, 61139, 65081, 69023, 72965