2,1

Factors are counted with multiplicity. Sequence begins at a(2) since no prime p exists such that the adjacent numbers p-1 and p+1 have just one factor. For p = 2, p-1 has zero factors; for p >= 3, p+1 has at least two factors.

a(24) > 2^54. [From Jon E. Schoenfield (jonscho(AT)hiwaay.net), Feb 08 2009]

For p = 19, p-1 = 18 = 2*3*3 and p+1 = 20 = 2*2*5 both have three factors and 19 is the smallest such prime. For p = 271, p-1 = 270 = 2*3*3*3*5 and p+1 = 272 = 2*2*2*2*17 both have five factors and 271 is the smallest prime surrounded by numbers with five factors.

For p = 89, p-1 = 88 = 2*2*2*11 and p+1 = 90 = 2*3*3*5 both have four factors and 89 is the smallest such prime. For p = 1889, p-1 = 1888 = 2*2*2*2*2*59 and p+1 = 1890 = 2*3*3*3*5*7 both have six factors and 1889 is the smallest prime surrounded by numbers with six factors.

(PARI) {for(n=2, 14, p=2; while(!(bigomega(p-1)==n&&bigomega(p+1)==n), p=nextprime(p+1)); print1(p, ", "))}

Cf. A001222 (number of prime divisors of n).

Sequence in context: A149799 A149800 A147099 this_sequence A149801 A149802 A149803

Adjacent sequences: A154595 A154596 A154597 this_sequence A154599 A154600 A154601

nonn,nice,hard

J. M. Bergot (thekingfishb(AT)yahoo.ca), Jan 12 2009

Edited, 2 removed, 151 replaced by 89 and a(6) - a(14) added by Klaus Brockhaus (klaus-brockhaus(AT)t-online.de), Jan 12 2009

a(15) from Klaus Brockhaus (klaus-brockhaus(AT)t-online.de), Jan 14 2009

a(16)-a(20) from Jon E. Schoenfield (jonscho(AT)hiwaay.net) and Donovan Johnson (donovan.johnson(AT)yahoo.com), Jan 21 2009

a(21) from Jon E. Schoenfield (jonscho(AT)hiwaay.net), Jan 27 2009

a(22) from Jon E. Schoenfield (jonscho(AT)hiwaay.net), Jan 28 2009

a(23) from Jon E. Schoenfield (jonscho(AT)hiwaay.net), Jan 30 2009