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Problem #888: What is the size of the largest $A\subseteq \{1,\ldots,n\}$...

What is the size of the largest $A\subseteq \{1,\ldots,n\}$ such that if $a\leq b\leq c\leq d\in A$ are such that $abcd$ is a square then $ad=bc$?

Problem Statement

What is the size of the largest $A\subseteq \{1,\ldots,n\}$ such that if $a\leq b\leq c\leq d\in A$ are such that $abcd$ is a square then $ad=bc$?
Categories: Number Theory Squares

Progress

A question of Erdős, Sárközy, and Sós. Erdős claims that Sárközy proved that $\lvert A\rvert =o(n)$. The primes show that $\lvert A\rvert \gg n/\log n$ is possible.

See also [121].

Source: erdosproblems.com/888 | Last verified: January 19, 2026

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