Equivalently: positive numbers that are divisible by 3 or by 4.
If k is divisible by 3, then k is in the sequence because k = k/3 + k/3 + k/3.
If k is divisible by 4, then k is in the sequence because k = k/2 + k/4 + k/4.
Moreover, if k is positive and divisible by 6 (
A008588), then k = k/3 + k/3 + k/3, but k is also in the sequence because k = k/2 + k/3 + k/6.
Conversely, to show that every term of this sequence is divisible by 3 or by 4, we consider all positive integer solutions of the equation 1 = 1/a + 1/b + 1/c. Without loss of generality, we may assume a <= b <= c, then 3/a >= 1/a + 1/b + 1/c = 1. So a <= 3. Similarly, given a, we have 2/b >= 1/b + 1/c = 1 - 1/a, so b <= 2/(1 - 1/a).
-> if a = 1, then 1 = 1 + 1/b + 1/c; this equation has clearly no solution.
-> if a = 2, then 1/2 = 1/b + 1/c with b <= 2/(1 - 1/2) = 4; in this case, there are two solutions: (a,b,c) = (2,3,6) or (a,b,c) = (2,4,4).
-> if a = 3, then 2/3 = 1/b + 1/c with b <= 2/(1 - 1/3) = 3; in this case, there is one solution: (a,b,c) = (3,3,3).
It turns out that there are only 3 solutions with a <= b <= c. Each corresponds to a possible pattern k = k/a + k/b + k/c for writing k as the sum of 3 of its divisors, which works when k is divisible by 3 or by 4. (End)
Proof that a(n + 6) = a(n) + 12.
As k is in the sequence, k = k/d1 + k/d2 + k/d3 where d1, d2 and d3 | k and they are not necessarily distinct. By discussion above from
Bernard Schott, Aug 06 2023, (d1, d2, d3) are in {(2, 3, 6), (2, 4, 4), (3, 3, 3)}. The lcm of these tuples are 6, 4 and 3 respectively. So any number k in the sequence is divisible by 3, 4 or 6.
This tells us that if k is in the sequence then k + 12 is in the sequence since k + 12 is divisible by one of 3, 4 or 6 since lcm(3, 4, 6) = 12.
So we can write a(n + m) = a(n) + 12 for some m. Inspection gives m = 6 so a(n + 6) = a(n) + 12. (End)
