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Let $k,n,\ell$ be positive integers with $k,n\ge 2$ and $0\le \ell \le k-1$. For each integer $2\le j \le n$, choose a divisor $d_j$ of $j$, uniformly at random from the divisors of $j$. We denote by $P(n,k,\ell)$ the probability that $$d_2 + d_3 + \cdots + d_n \equiv \ell \pmod{k}.$$ This answer on MSE shows that $P(n, k, \ell) \to 1/k$ as $n\to\infty$, regardless of $\ell$.

The proof given in the MSE answer is "Fourier analytic." Alternatively, we could argue "algebraically", as follows:

Sketch when $k=p$ is an odd prime: using Dirichlet's theorem, take a sequence of primes $\{a_i\}$ such that each $a_i$ is a primitive root modulo $p$. Consider the sequence $q_i = a_{i}^{p-2}$. The divisors of each $q_i$ are equidistributed modulo $p$, so roughly, whenever $n$ is one of these $q_i$, the probability of the divisor sum hitting what we want will be about $1/p$. Doing a sort of interpolation between these points (the details aren't too tricky) gives the result.

But when $k = 2^j$, this argument won't work, since powers of $2$ don't have primitive roots. However, the following generating function/"Fourier analytic" argument will work:

Consider the polynomial $$p_n (x) = \prod_{k=2}^{n} \left(\sum_{d\vert n} x^d \right) = (x+x^2)(x+x^3)(x+x^2+x^4) \cdots$$ Taking $\omega$ a $2^j$-th root of unity, a roots of unity filter gives $$P(n, 2^j, 0) = \frac{1}{2^j p_n (1)}\sum_{i=0}^{2^j - 1} p_n (\omega^i)$$ Now, note that for each $i$, by Dirichlet's theorem, we can find a prime $p$ of the form $$2^{i+1} m + 2^i + 1 = 2^i (2m+1)+1$$ so that $x^{2^i} + 1$ divides $x^p + x$. It follows that there exists $n_0$ such that for all $n\ge n_0$, $$(x^{2^{k-1}} + 1)(x^{2^{k-2}}+1) \cdots (x^4 + 1)(x^2 + 1)(x+1)\, \big \vert\, p_n (x)$$ and hence $p_n (\omega) = p_n (\omega^2) = \cdots p_n (\omega^{2^j - 1}) = 0$. Accordingly, $P(n, 2^j,0)$ is exactly $1/2^j$ for $n\ge n_0$.

My first question is what can be said about $n_0$? For instance, when $k=32$, then using Dirichlet's theorem to compute the smallest primes that satisfy the desired divisibility condition will show that $p_{41} (x)$ is divisible by $\prod_{i=0}^{4} (x^{2^i} + 1)$. But actually, in this case, $n_0 = 27 < 41$, because $x^8 + 1$ "anomalously" divides $x+x^3 + x^9 + x^{27}$.

So we are asking the question: for each $i$, what is the smallest $k$ for which $x^{2^i} + 1$ divides $q_k (x) = \sum_{d\vert k} x^d$? This also suggests the more general problem: how does the polynomial $q_k (x)$ factor?

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    $\begingroup$ Have you calculated $k$ for lots of small values of $i$, and checked the results against the Online Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences? $\endgroup$ Commented Apr 5, 2016 at 3:15
  • $\begingroup$ I've calculated $n_0$ for about ten values of $i$ (Mathematica wouldn't spit out anything bigger), and found no match on OEIS. $\endgroup$ Commented Apr 6, 2016 at 1:54
  • $\begingroup$ $n_0$ isn't the same thing as $k$, is it? Did you look for a match for $k$? $\endgroup$ Commented Apr 6, 2016 at 2:46
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    $\begingroup$ It's almost oeis.org/A057775 $\endgroup$ Commented Apr 6, 2016 at 22:46
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    $\begingroup$ Yes, this (very scanty) evidence suggests that most of the time, $k$ will be the prime predicted by Dirichlet's theorem in my argument above. What I'm interested in are the "anomalous" divisibilities, such as when $x^8 + 1$ divides $q_{27} (x)$, even though the prime predicted by Dirichlet is $41$. This seems like it may have something to do with how nicely divisors of numbers are distributed modulo $2^i$, since substituting a $2^{i+1}$st root of unity into $q_k$ gives us a related sum, but I'm not quite sure how to actually compute/get bounds on this sum. $\endgroup$ Commented Apr 6, 2016 at 22:51

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This is a consequence of the Catalan conjecture.

$'x^8+1'$ is a 'cube plus 1', hence 'misses a beat' when it factors $x+x^3+x^9+x^{27}$.

Because $27-3$ has $8$ as a factor, the factorization is: $$x+x^3+x^9+x^{27}=(1+x^8)(x+x^3-x^{11}+x^{19})$$ as $11$ and $19$ are both $3\mod8$.

And this only works because $9=3^2=1+8=1+2^3$, so it is the only 'anomaly'.

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  • $\begingroup$ Not sure I follow. $x^{16}+1$ divides $x+x^7+x^{49}+x^{343}=x(1+x^{48})+x^7(1+x^{336})$ (although this isn't anomalous, since $x^{16}+1$ also divides $x+x^{17}$). $\endgroup$ Commented Apr 7, 2016 at 12:45
  • $\begingroup$ @GerryMyerson; the OP is asking for $2^i$ and the Catalan conjecture disproves other anomalies such as the one he mentions. $x^{48}$ is a cube $\endgroup$
    – JMP
    Commented Apr 7, 2016 at 12:49

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