TITLE: Prove that the number $3^{3^n} + 1$ has at least $2n + 1$ prime factors.
QUESTION [8 upvotes]: For any natural $n,$ prove that $3^{3^n} + 1$ has at least $2n + 1$ prime factors.
My idea was to use induction:

for $n = 1$:
$$f(1) = 3^3 + 1 = 28 = 7*2^2$$
let it be true for $n = k$, then for $n = k + 1$:
$$f(k + 1) = 3^{3^{k + 1}} + 1 = 3^{3*3^k} + 1 = (3^{3^k} + 1)(3^{2*3^k} - 3^{3^k} + 1) = f(k)\times(3^{2*3^k} - 3^{3^k} + 1)$$

Now I have a problem:   how to prove that $(3^{2*3^k} - 3^{3^k} + 1)$ is not a prime number?
Or, if it is harder than solving the original problem, please give a hint where I turned the wrong way.

REPLY [4 votes]: We have:
$$3^{2\cdot3^k} - 3^{3^k} + 1=(3^{3^k}+3^{\frac{3^k+1}{2}}+1)(3^{3^k}-3^{\frac{3^k+1}{2}}+1)$$
And for $k>0$ both factors are greater than one. This factorization can be deduced from the fact that $f(2)=387400807=19441\cdot19927$ and that both factors are close to each other.