👉 Peas, a mathematical concept introduced by mathematician Paul Erdős, revolves around the idea of finding the smallest set of integers that satisfy a specific property. Given a positive integer \( n \), Peas seeks the smallest subset of natural numbers (1, 2, 3,...) such that every element in this subset, when multiplied by every other element in the subset, results in \( n \). This concept is fascinating because it often leads to surprisingly large sets, especially for larger \( n \), and demonstrates the intricate patterns and connections within number theory. For example, Peas found that for \( n = 23 \), the smallest set is {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20}, which is a set of 18 elements. The study of Peas not only showcases the beauty of number theory but also highlights the unexpected complexity that can arise from simple mathematical rules.
