Bounds On Factors Of Odd Perfect Numbers

Abstract: Much recent progress has been made concerning the probable existence of Odd Perfect Numbers, forming part of what has come to be known as Sylvester's Web Of Conditions. This paper proves some results concerning certain properties of the sums of reciprocals of the factors of odd perfect numbers, or, in more technical terms, the properties of the sub-sums of \sigma_{-1} (n). By this result, it also establishes strong bounds on the prime factors of odd perfect numbers using the number of distinct prime factors it may possess.