OFFSET
1,2
COMMENTS
Conjecture 1: If n is at least 15, then a(n) is the least power of 3 not smaller than 3*n.
Conjecture 2: For each positive integer n, the least positive integer m such that those numbers 2*k^3 + k (k = 1..n) are pairwise distinct modulo m, is just the least power of 2 not smaller than n.
Conjecture 3: For any positive integer n, the least positive integer m such that those numbers 2*k^3 - 4*k (k = 1..n) are pairwise distinct modulo m, is just the least power of 3 not smaller than n.
Conjecture 4: For each positive integer n not equal to 4, the least positive integer m such that those numbers 16*k^3 - 8*k (k = 1..n) are pairwise distinct modulo m, is just the least power of 3 not smaller than n.
The author formulated Conjectures 1-4 on Nov. 16, 2021, and verified them for n up to 10^5.
LINKS
Zhi-Wei Sun, On functions taking only prime values, J. Number Theory 133(2013), no.8, 2794-2812.
Zhi-Wei Sun, New Conjectures in Number Theory and Combinatorics (in Chinese), Harbin Institute of Technology Press, 2021.
Quan-Hui Yang and Lilu Zhao, On a conjecture of Sun involving powers of three, arXiv:2111.02746 [math.NT], 2021.
EXAMPLE
a(2) = 3, for, 1^3 + 3*1 = 4 and 2^3 + 3*2 = 14 are incongruent modulo 3, but congruent modulo 1 and 2.
MATHEMATICA
f[k_]:=f[k]=k^3+3*k;
U[m_, n_]:=U[m, n]=Length[Union[Table[Mod[f[k], m], {k, 1, n}]]]
tab={}; s=1; Do[m=s; Label[bb]; If[U[m, n]==n, s=m; tab=Append[tab, s]; Goto[aa]];
m=m+1; Goto[bb]; Label[aa], {n, 1, 80}]; Print[tab]
CROSSREFS
KEYWORD
nonn
AUTHOR
Zhi-Wei Sun, Sep 07 2022
STATUS
approved