[#P3050] Convergence of a weighted sum over well-separated sets
Contents
Problem. Erdős Problem 143: A set $A \subseteq (1, \infty)$ of real numbers is called well-separated if it is countably infinite and satisfies the separation condition: for all distinct $x, y \in A$ and every integer $k \geq 1$, we have $|kx - y| \geq 1$. Let $A$ be a well-separated set. Is the series \[ \sum_{x \in A} \frac{1}{x \log x} \] convergent?
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Definitions and notation
1Context
This problem is part of a family of questions about the density and distribution of well-separated sets of real numbers, originally posed by Erdős.
2Definitions
Definition 1 (A subset $A \subseteq \mathbb{R}$). A subset $A \subseteq \mathbb{R}$ is well-separated if $A \subseteq (1, \infty)$, the set $A$ is countably infinite, and for all distinct $x, y \in A$ and all integers $k \geq 1$, the inequality $|kx - y| \geq 1$ holds.
3What counts as a solution
- Give a rigorous proof or counterexample that completely resolves this statement: Erdős Problem 143: A set $A \subseteq (1, \infty)$ of real numbers is called well-separated if it is countably infinite and satisfies the separation condition: for all distinct $x, y \in A$ and every integer $k \geq 1$, we have $|kx - y| \geq 1$. Let $A$ be a well-separated set. Is the series \[ \sum_{x \in A} \frac{1}{x \log x} \] convergent?
1Status
Saved packet · July 31, 2026
Saved packet status (Current status and unresolved remainder). OPEN as of 2026-07-31. The maintained Erdős Problems database at commit 8138974387d9030542daabe67faaa33eff9356f8 lists Problem 143 as open. The unresolved remainder is the full displayed statement. Give a rigorous proof or counterexample that completely resolves this statement: Erdős Problem 143: A set $A \subseteq (1, \infty)$ of real numbers is called well-separated if it is countably infinite and satisfies the separation condition: for all distinct $x, y \in A$ and every integer $k \geq 1$, we have $|kx - y| \geq 1$. Let $A$ be a well-separated set. Is the series \[ \sum_{x \in A} \frac{1}{x \log x} \] convergent?[1]
1Packet records
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Notes and companion material
Original intake status. OPEN as of 2026-07-31. The maintained Erdős Problems database at commit 8138974387d9030542daabe67faaa33eff9356f8 lists Problem 143 as open. The unresolved remainder is the full displayed statement.
- The maintained database entry for Erdős Problem 143 was open at commit 8138974387d9030542daabe67faaa33eff9356f8.
- The pinned Formal Conjectures declaration was matched by problem number and source locator.
- The controlled TheoremDB source corpus was checked for an already published record with the same slug.
How the 2 records connect
ProblemConvergence of a weighted sum over well-separated sets
All 1 recorded relations between these records and the problem
2See also
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Cite this problem statement
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“Convergence of a weighted sum over well-separated sets.” TheoremDB. P3050. Problem statement; statement text SHA-256 c2fe9f686a6882abfb97c75512c111efbc4e3c813a94047592788856d2c67ba9. https://theoremdb.org/statement/?ref=P3050
@misc{theoremdb-problem-c2fe9f686a6882abfb97c75512c111efbc4e3c813a94047592788856d2c67ba9,
title = {{Convergence of a weighted sum over well-separated sets}},
howpublished = {TheoremDB},
note = {Problem statement; statement text SHA-256 c2fe9f686a6882abfb97c75512c111efbc4e3c813a94047592788856d2c67ba9},
url = {https://theoremdb.org/statement/?ref=P3050}
}Plain text: Built Markdown snapshot
This problem includes 2 records joined by 1 typed links, sourced from erdosproblems.com[1], current as of July 31, 2026.
1References
- Packet source. Erdős Problems database, Problem 143, maintained status record. Erdős Problems record 143, checked 2026-08-01. Problem 143; status field and linked bibliography. ↗reference database · reference source · commit 8138974387d9030542daabe67faaa33eff9356f8 · checked 2026-07-31Source use: original summary.Records the current open status and links the literature attached to this exact numbered problem.Also cited at Problem 143; status snapshot 8138974387d9030542daabe67faaa33eff9356f8.Also cited at See dataset.references[0] for the exact external source and locator.Also cited at Editorial research route recorded 2026-07-31.Source used to formulate or check the problem record.Source used to assess the problem's recorded status.For Convergence of a weighted sum over well-separated sets: Records the current open status and links the literature attached to this exact numbered problem.Source named by the research packet.
- Erdős problem database, data/problems.yaml, commit 8138974387d9030542daabe67faaa33eff9356f8. Problem 143 entry in data/problems.yaml. ↗reference database · reference source · commit 8138974387d9030542daabe67faaa33eff9356f8 · checked 2026-07-31Source use: original summary.Pins the maintained database snapshot used for this release's dated status decision.Source used to assess the problem's recorded status.For Convergence of a weighted sum over well-separated sets: Pins the maintained database snapshot used for this release's dated status decision.
- Google DeepMind, Formal Conjectures, formal statement for Erdős Problem 143. GitHub commit bb1c69dab14ad895ac1ccdb7b0c0e0a67c8eb3e1. FormalConjectures/ErdosProblems/143.lean:L56; theorem erdos_143.parts.ii; commit bb1c69dab14ad895ac1ccdb7b0c0e0a67c8eb3e1. ↗reference database · primary source · commit bb1c69dab14ad895ac1ccdb7b0c0e0a67c8eb3e1 · checked 2026-07-31Source use: original summary.Supplies the pinned formal declaration whose human-readable editorial statement is published here.Source used to assess the problem's recorded status.For Convergence of a weighted sum over well-separated sets: Supplies the pinned formal declaration whose human-readable editorial statement is published here.
Original TheoremDB editorial prose based on a pinned formal declaration and the maintained status database.
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