In number theory, a deficient number or defective number is a positive integer n for which the sum of divisors of n is less than 2n. Equivalently, it is a number for which the sum of proper divisors (or aliquot sum) is less than n. For example, the proper divisors of 8 are 1, 2, and 4, and their sum is less than 8, so 8 is deficient.
Denoting by σ(n) the sum of divisors, the value 2n – σ(n) is called the number's deficiency. In terms of the aliquot sum s(n), the deficiency is n – s(n).
The first few deficient numbers are
As an example, consider the number 21. Its divisors are 1, 3, 7 and 21, and their sum is 32. Because 32 is less than 42, the number 21 is deficient. Its deficiency is 2 × 21 − 32 = 10.
Since the aliquot sums of prime numbers equal 1, all prime numbers are deficient. [1] More generally, all odd numbers with one or two distinct prime factors are deficient. It follows that there are infinitely many odd deficient numbers. There are also an infinite number of even deficient numbers as all powers of two have the sum (1 + 2 + 4 + 8 + ... + 2x-1 = 2x - 1).
More generally, all prime powers are deficient, because their only proper divisors are which sum to , which is at most . [2]
All proper divisors of deficient numbers are deficient. [3] Moreover, all proper divisors of perfect numbers are deficient. [4]
There exists at least one deficient number in the interval for all sufficiently large n. [5]
Closely related to deficient numbers are perfect numbers with σ(n) = 2n, and abundant numbers with σ(n) > 2n.
Nicomachus was the first to subdivide numbers into deficient, perfect, or abundant, in his Introduction to Arithmetic (circa 100 CE). However, he applied this classification only to the even numbers. [6]
Amicable numbers are two different natural numbers related in such a way that the sum of the proper divisors of each is equal to the other number. That is, s(a)=b and s(b)=a, where s(n)=σ(n)-n is equal to the sum of positive divisors of n except n itself (see also divisor function).
In number theory, a perfect number is a positive integer that is equal to the sum of its positive divisors, excluding the number itself. For instance, 6 has divisors 1, 2 and 3, and 1 + 2 + 3 = 6, so 6 is a perfect number.
In mathematics, a divisor of an integer also called a factor of is an integer that may be multiplied by some integer to produce In this case, one also says that is a multiple of An integer is divisible or evenly divisible by another integer if is a divisor of ; this implies dividing by leaves no remainder.
The tables below list all of the divisors of the numbers 1 to 1000.
In mathematics, a multiply perfect number is a generalization of a perfect number.
In number theory, an abundant number or excessive number is a positive integer for which the sum of its proper divisors is greater than the number. The integer 12 is the first abundant number. Its proper divisors are 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 for a total of 16. The amount by which the sum exceeds the number is the abundance. The number 12 has an abundance of 4, for example.
In mathematics, a quasiperfect number is a natural number n for which the sum of all its divisors (the divisor function σ(n)) is equal to 2n + 1. Equivalently, n is the sum of its non-trivial divisors (that is, its divisors excluding 1 and n). No quasiperfect numbers have been found so far.
In number theory, a weird number is a natural number that is abundant but not semiperfect. In other words, the sum of the proper divisors of the number is greater than the number, but no subset of those divisors sums to the number itself.
In mathematics, an almost perfect number (sometimes also called slightly defective or least deficientnumber) is a natural number n such that the sum of all divisors of n (the sum-of-divisors function σ(n)) is equal to 2n − 1, the sum of all proper divisors of n, s(n) = σ(n) − n, then being equal to n − 1. The only known almost perfect numbers are powers of 2 with non-negative exponents (sequence A000079 in the OEIS). Therefore the only known odd almost perfect number is 20 = 1, and the only known even almost perfect numbers are those of the form 2k for some positive integer k; however, it has not been shown that all almost perfect numbers are of this form. It is known that an odd almost perfect number greater than 1 would have at least six prime factors.
In number theory, a k-hyperperfect number is a natural number n for which the equality holds, where σ(n) is the divisor function (i.e., the sum of all positive divisors of n). A hyperperfect number is a k-hyperperfect number for some integer k. Hyperperfect numbers generalize perfect numbers, which are 1-hyperperfect.
In mathematics, sociable numbers are numbers whose aliquot sums form a periodic sequence. They are generalizations of the concepts of perfect numbers and amicable numbers. The first two sociable sequences, or sociable chains, were discovered and named by the Belgian mathematician Paul Poulet in 1918. In a sociable sequence, each number is the sum of the proper divisors of the preceding number, i.e., the sum excludes the preceding number itself. For the sequence to be sociable, the sequence must be cyclic and return to its starting point.
In mathematics, and specifically in number theory, a divisor function is an arithmetic function related to the divisors of an integer. When referred to as the divisor function, it counts the number of divisors of an integer. It appears in a number of remarkable identities, including relationships on the Riemann zeta function and the Eisenstein series of modular forms. Divisor functions were studied by Ramanujan, who gave a number of important congruences and identities; these are treated separately in the article Ramanujan's sum.
In mathematics, an aliquot sequence is a sequence of positive integers in which each term is the sum of the proper divisors of the previous term. If the sequence reaches the number 1, it ends, since the sum of the proper divisors of 1 is 0.
A unitary perfect number is an integer which is the sum of its positive proper unitary divisors, not including the number itself. Some perfect numbers are not unitary perfect numbers, and some unitary perfect numbers are not ordinary perfect numbers.
In mathematics, an untouchable number is a positive integer that cannot be expressed as the sum of all the proper divisors of any positive integer. That is, these numbers are not in the image of the aliquot sum function. Their study goes back at least to Abu Mansur al-Baghdadi, who observed that both 2 and 5 are untouchable.
In number theory, a practical number or panarithmic number is a positive integer such that all smaller positive integers can be represented as sums of distinct divisors of . For example, 12 is a practical number because all the numbers from 1 to 11 can be expressed as sums of its divisors 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6: as well as these divisors themselves, we have 5 = 3 + 2, 7 = 6 + 1, 8 = 6 + 2, 9 = 6 + 3, 10 = 6 + 3 + 1, and 11 = 6 + 3 + 2.
In number theory, friendly numbers are two or more natural numbers with a common abundancy index, the ratio between the sum of divisors of a number and the number itself. Two numbers with the same "abundancy" form a friendly pair; n numbers with the same "abundancy" form a friendly n-tuple.
In mathematics, a natural number a is a unitary divisor of a number b if a is a divisor of b and if a and are coprime, having no common factor other than 1. Equivalently, a divisor a of b is a unitary divisor if and only if every prime factor of a has the same multiplicity in a as it has in b.
In number theory, the aliquot sums(n) of a positive integer n is the sum of all proper divisors of n, that is, all divisors of n other than n itself. That is,
In number theory, a superperfect number is a positive integer n that satisfies