2021 USAMO Problems/Problem 3

Revision as of 03:15, 3 March 2021 by Y.grace.yu (talk | contribs) (Made-up USAMO problem -- (3) is unsolved...)

A perfect number is a positive integer that is equal to the sum of its proper divisors, such as $6$, $28$, $496$, and $8,128$. Prove that

(1) All even perfect numbers follow the format $\frac{1}{2}M(M+1)$, where $M$ is a Mersenne prime;

(2) All $\frac{1}{2}M*(M+1)$, where $M$ is a Mersenne prime, are even perfect numbers;

(3) There are no odd perfect numbers.

Note: a Mersenne prime is a prime in the form of $2^p-1$.