Let P be a finite set of primes. Define m(P) as the largest number of consecutive integers each of which is divisible by a prime in P.
Let |P| denote the size of P and \min(P) to be the smallest element in P.
Prove that:
1. m(P) \geq |P|
2. m(P) = |P| if and only if \min (P) > |P|
Solution
Let s = |P|. We proceed by constructing s consecutive integers which are each divisible by a prime in P. Indeed, the following system has a solution, according to Chinese Remainder Theorem:
x+1 \equiv 0 \pmod {p_1}
x+2 \equiv 0 \pmod {p_2}
...
x+s \equiv 0 \pmod {p_s}
Second part:
Suppose we have s < \min(P) and that we have s+1 consecutive integers all divisible by some p_i: x, x+1, x+2, ... , x+s. Let p_1 = \min(P).
For each p_i, it can only divide at most one of the above-mentioned integers. For if it divides x+a and x+b then it also divides |a-b| \leq s < p_1, a contradiction (since p_1 is the smallest prime in P).
So m(P) \leq s. But it's been shown that m(P) \geq s, so m(P) = s.
Now suppose we have s \geq \min(P). We will show s+1 consecutive integers such that each is divisible by a prime in P, which then establishes m(P) > s.
Let k = \min(P).
Again, we set up a system of equations as described above, but we choose the ordering of p_is such that p_k = k. The rest can be arbitrary ordering. This is always possible if s \geq k.
According to CRT, there is a solution of s consecutive integers that satisfy the above system of equations. But then we also have x = x+k - k divisible by p_k = k. So together with x, they form s+1 consecutive integers.
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