On the values of the divisor function

For a positive integer n we let τ(n) denote the number of its positive divisors. In this paper, we obtain lower and upper bounds for the average value of the ratio τ(n + 1)/τ(n) as n ranges through positive integers in the interval 1,x]. We also study the cardinality of the sets {τ(p − 1) : p ≤ x prime} and {τ(2ⁿ − 1) : n ≤ x}. Authors’ addresses: Florian Luca, Instituto de Matemáticas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma'de'México, C.P. 58089, Morelia, Michoacán, México; Igor E. Shparlinski, Department of Computing, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia