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Additional quadruples (a, b, r, s) for totient-power representations

Determine whether there exist positive integer quadruples (a, b, r, s), other than (1, 1, 2, 2) and those satisfying gcd(ar, bs) = 1, such that every positive rational number can be written as ((φ(m^r))^a)/((φ(n^s))^b) for some m, n ∈ ℕ.

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Background

Work on representing positive rational numbers via Euler’s totient function began with Krachun and Sun, who showed that every positive rational q can be written as φ(m2)/φ(n2). Li, Yuan, and Bai analyzed generalized forms φ(k mr)/φ(l ns) and gave complete criteria. Vu later considered the power form ((φ(mr))a)/((φ(ns))b), proving that if gcd(ar, bs) = 1, then every positive rational number admits such a representation.

The present paper provides new families of quadruples, notably (a, 1, 2, 2) and (1, b, 2, 2) with odd a, b > 1, for which every positive rational number can be expressed in the form ((φ(mr))a)/((φ(ns))b). However, a complete classification beyond the gcd(ar, bs) = 1 and (1,1,2,2) cases remains unresolved, motivating the explicit open problem stated.

References

At the end of , Vu proposed the following open problem. Besides $(a, b, r, s) = (1, 1, 2, 2)$ and $(a, b, r, s)$ with $\gcd(ar, bs) = 1$, are there any other positive integer quadruples $(a, b, r, s)$ such that every positive rational number can be written in the form $(\varphi(m{r})){a}/(\varphi(n{s})){b}$, where $m, n\in\mathbb{N}$?

On the representation of rational numbers via Euler's totient function (2502.18252 - Zhang et al., 25 Feb 2025) in Section 1 (Introduction), Problem