Let $P(n)$ denote the largest prime factor of $n$. For any integer $x\ge2$, define the median $$ M(x) = \text{the median of the set }\{P(2), P(3), \dots, P(x) \}. $$ Classical results of Dickman and de Bruijn show that the median is roughly $x^{1/\sqrt{e}}$. More specifically, I think that the Dickman-de Bruijn rho-function approach can show the following: for any function $f(x)$ tending to infinity with $x$, the median $M(x)$ is between $x^{1/\sqrt{e}}/f(x)$ and $x^{1/\sqrt{e}}f(x)$ for all sufficiently large $x$.
But I got to thinking the other day: is there a way to determine how the median compares to $x^{1/\sqrt{e}}$ specifically? In other words, which one of the following is true?
- For all sufficiently large $x$, we have $M(x) \lt x^{1/\sqrt{e}}$.
- Each inequality $M(x) \lt x^{1/\sqrt{e}}$ and $M(x) \ge x^{1/\sqrt{e}}$ holds for arbitrarily large $x$.
- For all sufficiently large $x$, we have $M(x) \ge x^{1/\sqrt{e}}$.