Problem Statement
Is\[\sum \frac{p_n}{2^n}\]irrational? (Here $p_n$ is the $n$th prime.)
Categories:
Number Theory Irrationality
Progress
Erdős [Er58b] proved that $\sum \frac{p_n^k}{n!}$ is irrational for every $k\geq 1$.In [Er88c] he further conjectures that $\sum \frac{p_n^k}{2^n}$ is irrational for every $k$, and that if $g_n\geq 2$ and $g_n=o(p_n)$ then\[\sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{p_n}{g_1\cdots g_n}\]is irrational. (The example $g_n=p_n+1$ shows that some condition on the growth of the $g_n$ is necessary here.)
The decimal expansion of this sum is A098990 on the OEIS.
Source: erdosproblems.com/251 | Last verified: January 14, 2026