Small differences between prime numbers (Q1119687): Difference between revisions
From MaRDI portal
Added link to MaRDI item. |
Set OpenAlex properties. |
||
(One intermediate revision by one other user not shown) | |||
Property / MaRDI profile type | |||
Property / MaRDI profile type: MaRDI publication profile / rank | |||
Normal rank | |||
Property / full work available at URL | |||
Property / full work available at URL: https://doi.org/10.1307/mmj/1029003814 / rank | |||
Normal rank | |||
Property / OpenAlex ID | |||
Property / OpenAlex ID: W2161288466 / rank | |||
Normal rank |
Latest revision as of 00:49, 20 March 2024
scientific article
Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
---|---|---|---|
English | Small differences between prime numbers |
scientific article |
Statements
Small differences between prime numbers (English)
0 references
1988
0 references
Let \(E_ r=\liminf_{n\to \infty}((p_{n+r}-p_ n)/\log p_ n)\), where \(p_ n\) is the n-th prime. It is conjectured that \(E_ r=0\) for all values of r, and it is immediate from the prime number theorem that \(E_ r\leq r\). For \(r=1\), which is perhaps the most interesting case, \textit{P. Erdős} [Duke Math. J. 6, 438-441 (1940; Zbl 0023.29801)] showed that \(E_ 1<1\). \textit{E. Bombieri} and \textit{H. Davenport} [Proc. R. Soc. Lond., Ser. A 293, 1-18 (1966; Zbl 0151.042)] obtained \(E_ r\leq r-,\) and \textit{M. N. Huxley} [Mathematika 24, 142-152 (1978; Zbl 0367.10038)] showed that \[ E_ r\leq \frac{2r-1}{16r}(4r+(4r-1)\frac{\vartheta_ r}{\sin \vartheta_ r}), \] where \(\vartheta_ r+\sin \vartheta_ r=\pi /4r\) (whence \(E_ 1\leq 0.4425\) and \(E_ 2\leq 1.4105).\) The present paper combines the methods of Bombieri, Davenport and Huxley with a technique introduced by the author [Adv. Math. 39, 257-269 (1981; Zbl 0457.10023)]. The key idea here is that the primes are denser than average by a factor \(e^{\gamma}\) (\(\gamma\) is Euler's constant) in the arithmetic progressions s(mod P(z)), where P(z) is the product of all primes below z, and \(s\leq z(\log z)^ 3\). One therefore replaces an exponential sum over all primes, which occurs in the earlier works, by one restricted to the above congruence classes. The end result is that Huxley's estimate is improved by a factor \(e^{\gamma}\), giving \(E_ 1\leq 0.248...\) and \(E_ 2\leq 0.79...,\) in particular. The technical arguments needed to push the analysis through are hard work. For example, one requires a version of the Bombieri-Vinogradov Theorem in which the moduli are restricted to multiples of P(z). Overall, the paper is a considerable achievement, and the result a most significant advance on what was known previously.
0 references
small differences between primes
0 references
consecutive differences
0 references
consecutive primes
0 references
exponential sum over primes
0 references