On the verification of a Nicolas inequality

Abstract

Nicolas inequality we deal can be written as \begin{equation}\label{Nicineq} e^\gamma \log\log N_x < \dfrac{N_x}{\varphi(N_x)}\,, \end{equation} where $x\ge 2$, $N_x$ denotes the product of the primes less or equal than $x$, $\gamma$ is the Euler constant and $\varphi$ is the Euler totient function. We show that there is a large $x_0>0$ such that this inequality fails infinitely often for integers $x\ge x_0$. To this aim we analyze the sign of the Big-o function in the Mertens estimate for the sum of reciprocals of primes that, we see, becomes crucial.

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