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Number whose divisors add to a multiple of that number
Demonstration, with Cuisenaire rods, of the 2-perfection of the number 6
In mathematics, a multiply perfect number (also called multiperfect number or pluperfect number) is a generalization of a perfect number.
For a given natural numberk, a number n is called k-perfect (or k-fold perfect) if the sum of all positive divisors of n (the divisor function, σ(n)) is equal to kn; a number is thus perfectif and only if it is 2-perfect. A number that is k-perfect for a certain k is called a multiply perfect number. As of 2014, k-perfect numbers are known for each value of k up to 11.[1]
It is unknown whether there are any odd multiply perfect numbers other than 1. The first few multiply perfect numbers are:
For a given prime numberp, if n is p-perfect and p does not divide n, then pn is (p + 1)-perfect. This implies that an integern is a 3-perfect number divisible by 2 but not by 4, if and only if n/2 is an odd perfect number, of which none are known.
If 3n is 4k-perfect and 3 does not divide n, then n is 3k-perfect.
It is unknown whether there are any odd multiply perfect numbers other than 1. However if an odd k-perfect number n exists where k > 2, then it must satisfy the following conditions:[2]
The largest prime factor is ≥ 100129
The second largest prime factor is ≥ 1009
The third largest prime factor is ≥ 101
If an odd triperfect number exists, it must be greater than 10128.[3]
Tóth found several numbers that would be odd multiperfect, if one of their factors was a square. An example is 8999757, which would be an odd multiperfect number, if only one of its prime factors, 61, was a square.[4] This is closely related to the concept of Descartes numbers.
A number n with σ(n) = 3n is triperfect. There are only six known triperfect numbers and these are believed to comprise all such numbers:
120, 672, 523776, 459818240, 1476304896, 51001180160 (sequence A005820 in the OEIS)
If there exists an odd perfect number m (a famous open problem) then 2m would be 3-perfect, since σ(2m) = σ(2)σ(m) = 3×2m. An odd triperfect number must be a square number exceeding 1070 and have at least 12 distinct prime factors, the largest exceeding 105.[7]
A similar extension can be made for unitary perfect numbers. A positive integer n is called a unitary multik-perfectnumber if σ*(n) = kn where σ*(n) is the sum of its unitary divisors. A unitary multiply perfect number is a unitary multi k-perfect number for some positive integer k. A unitary multi 2-perfect number is also called a unitary perfect number.
In the case k > 2, no example of a unitary multi k-perfect number is yet known. It is known that if such a number exists, it must be even and greater than 10102 and must have at least 45 odd prime factors.[8]
The first few unitary multiply perfect numbers are:
1, 6, 60, 90, 87360 (sequence A327158 in the OEIS)
A positive integer n is called a bi-unitary multik-perfectnumber if σ**(n) = kn where σ**(n) is the sum of its bi-unitary divisors. A bi-unitary multiply perfect number is a bi-unitary multi k-perfect number for some positive integer k.[9] A bi-unitary multi 2-perfect number is also called a bi-unitary perfect number, and a bi-unitary multi 3-perfect number is called a bi-unitary triperfect number.
In 1987, Peter Hagis proved that there are no odd bi-unitary multiperfect numbers other than 1.[9]
In 2020, Haukkanen and Sitaramaiah studied bi-unitary triperfect numbers of the form 2au where u is odd. They completely resolved the cases 1 ≤ a ≤ 6 and a = 8, and partially resolved the case a = 7.[10][11][12][13][14][15]
In 2024, Tomohiro Yamada proved that 2160 is the only bi-unitary triperfect number divisible by 27 = 33.[16] This means that Yamada found all biunitary triperfect numbers of the form 3au with 3 ≤ a and u not divisible by 3.
The first few bi-unitary multiply perfect numbers are:
1, 6, 60, 90, 120, 672, 2160, 10080, 22848, 30240 (sequence A189000 in the OEIS)
^Yamada, Tomohiro (2024). "Determining all biunitary triperfect numbers of a certain form". arXiv:2406.19331 [math.NT]. (published in Journal of Integer Sequences, Vol. 28 (2025), Article 25.4.5)
Merickel, James G. (1999). "Divisors of Sums of Divisors: 10617". The American Mathematical Monthly. 106 (7): 693. doi:10.2307/2589515. JSTOR2589515. MR1543520.
Sorli, Ronald M. (2003). Algorithms in the study of multiperfect and odd perfect numbers (PhD thesis). Sydney: University of Technology. hdl:10453/20034.