On a function introduced by Erd\"{o}s and Nicolas

Abstract

Erd\"os and Nicolas [erdos1976methodes] introduced an arithmetical function $F(n)$ related to divisors of $n$ in short intervals $\left] \frac{t}{2}, t\right]$. The aim of this note is to prove that $F(n)$ is the largest coefficient of polynomial $P_n(q)$ introduced by Kassel and Reutenauer [kassel2015counting]. We deduce that $P_n(q)$ has a coefficient larger than $1$ if and only if $2n$ is the perimeter of a Pythagorean triangle. We improve a result due to Vatne [vatne2017sequence] concerning the coefficients of $P_n(q)$.