2000/02/17 by Everett W. Howe · 1 citation
Mathematics · #Rings, Modules, and Algebras #Commutative Algebra and Its Applications #Analytic Number Theory Research
paper · pdf · doi:10.1090/s0025-5718-00-01225-4
openalex publication_date 2000/02/17 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/15
We define a Carmichael number of order <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="m"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mi>m</mml:mi> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">m</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> to be a composite integer <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="n"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mi>n</mml:mi> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">n</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> such that <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="n"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mi>n</mml:mi> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">n</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> th-power raising defines an endomorphism of every <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="bold upper Z slash n bold upper Z"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mrow> <mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mml:mi mathvariant="bold">Z</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mml:mo>/</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:mi>n</mml:mi> <mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mml:mi mathvariant="bold">Z</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:mrow> </mml:mrow> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\mathbf Z/n\mathbf Z</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> -algebra that can be generated as a <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="bold upper Z slash n bold upper Z"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mrow> <mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mml:mi mathvariant="bold">Z</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mml:mo>/</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:mi>n</mml:mi> <mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mml:mi mathvariant="bold">Z</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:mrow> </mml:mrow> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\mathbf Z/n\mathbf Z</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> -module by <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="m"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mi>m</mml:mi> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">m</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> elements. We give a simple criterion to determine whether a number is a Carmichael number of order <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="m"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mi>m</mml:mi> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">m</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> , and we give a heuristic argument (based on an argument of Erdős for the usual Carmichael numbers) that indicates that for every <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="m"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mi>m</mml:mi> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">m</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> there should be infinitely many Carmichael numbers of order <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="m"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mi>m</mml:mi> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">m</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> . The argument suggests a method for finding examples of higher-order Carmichael numbers; we use the method to provide examples of Carmichael numbers of order <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="2"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">2</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> .