Arbitrarily long avoidance of 3 in Euclid–Mullin sequences

For a prime seed $p_1$, define $p_{k+1}$ to be the least prime divisor of $1+p_1\cdots p_k$. For every positive integer $n$, there is a prime seed for which none of the first $n$ terms is $3$. This answers the first of Donkin's two questions in Cameron's problem list. The proof chooses a finite increasing sequence of auxiliary primes and forces the sequence to begin with the seed, $2$, and those primes. Booker and Irvine used the Chinese remainder theorem to prescribe prime-divisor paths, including constructions from prime starting values. Here congruences also exclude every smaller prime factor, making the prescribed divisors the least factors. Dirichlet's theorem then supplies a prime seed. The argument, including the congruence construction and its translation into the sequence, is formalized in Lean. The separate question of a single prime seed whose sequence avoids $3$ forever remains open. Checked in Lean from the definitions; not yet reviewed by experts. Produced by AI models under the author's direction.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Published
2026-10-26
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23666670
Primary Topic
Analytic Number Theory Research
Type
preprint
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preprint

Arbitrarily long avoidance of 3 in Euclid–Mullin sequences

P. Graham
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Analytic Number Theory Research
preprint

Arbitrarily long avoidance of 3 in Euclid–Mullin sequences

P. Graham
preprint en

Abstract

For a prime seed $p_1$, define $p_{k+1}$ to be the least prime divisor of $1+p_1\cdots p_k$. For every positive integer $n$, there is a prime seed for which none of the first $n$ terms is $3$. This answers the first of Donkin's two questions in Cameron's problem list. The proof chooses a finite increasing sequence of auxiliary primes and forces the sequence to begin with the seed, $2$, and those primes. Booker and Irvine used the Chinese remainder theorem to prescribe prime-divisor paths, including constructions from prime starting values. Here congruences also exclude every smaller prime factor, making the prescribed divisors the least factors. Dirichlet's theorem then supplies a prime seed. The argument, including the congruence construction and its translation into the sequence, is formalized in Lean. The separate question of a single prime seed whose sequence avoids $3$ forever remains open. Checked in Lean from the definitions; not yet reviewed by experts. Produced by AI models under the author's direction.

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Analytic Number Theory Research
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Arbitrarily long avoidance of 3 in Euclid–Mullin sequences — P. Graham · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS