Claim: Any positive integer \(n\) can be written as \(n=2^k\cdot m\) , where \(k\ge0\) and \(m\) is an odd positive integer.

To prove this claim use the fact : \(n=2^k\cdot p_1^{k_1}\cdot p_2^{k_2}\cdots p_i^{k_i}\), where \(k\) and all \(k_i\) are non-negetive integers and all \(p_i\) are odd primes.

The sum of (any) \(r\) consecutive positive integers is given by,

\((q+1)+(q+2)+(q+3)+\cdots+(q+r)\)

= \(q\cdot r+(1+2+3+\cdots+r)\)

= \(q\cdot r+\frac{r(r+1)}{2}\).

Equating this sum to \(n\) we get,

\(2^k\cdot m = q\cdot r+\frac{r(r+1)}{2}\)

Or, \(2^{k+1}\cdot m = 2q\cdot r+r(r+1)\)

Or, \(2^l\cdot m = r(2q+r+1)\) , where \(l=k+1\ge1\).

In particular if we take \(n=2^l\) then \(m\) is equal to 1.

Since both \(r\) and \((2q+r+1)\) are greater than 1, so they can’t be equal to \(m\) in this case. Again one of \(r, (2q+r+1)\) is odd integer which implies the product \(r(2q+r+1)\) can’t be equal to \(2^l\).

\(\Rightarrow 2^l \neq r(2q+r+1) \)

\(\Rightarrow 2^l\) can’t be expressed as the sum of \(r\) consecutive positive integers with \(r>1\) and \(l\ge 1\).

Now, \(n=2^0=1 \) also can’t be written in the same manner when \(l=0\). Therefore the positive integers \(n\) that cannot be written as a sum of \(r\) consecutive positive integers, with \(r>1\) , are of the form \(n=2^l\) for some \(l\ge 0\). (Proved).