Prime-representing functions (Q625987): Difference between revisions

\textit{W. H. Mills} [Bull. Am. Math. Soc. 53, 604 (1947; Zbl 0033.16303)] proved: There exists a real constant \(\alpha\) such that the sequence \(\lfloor \alpha^{3^n}\rfloor\) contains only prime numbers. There have been some subsequent extensions or refinements: \textit{I. Niven} [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 2, 753--755 (1951; Zbl 0044.03702)] proved that the \(3\) can be replaced by any constant \(c>\frac{8}{3}\), \textit{G. Alkauskas} and \textit{A. Dubickas} [Acta Math. Hung. 105, No. ~3, 249--256 (2004; Zbl 1102.11004)] improved this to \(c>\frac{40}{19}\). These constants reflect the current knowledge on primes in short intervals. Along this approach, reducing the constant to 2 appeared to be hopeless. \textit{E. M. Wright} [J. Lond. Math. Soc. 29, 63--71 (1954; Zbl 0055.04101)] extended the result to hold for certain sequences. Making use of her recent result, \[ \sum_{p_{n+1}-p_n> x^{1/2},\;x\leq p_{n\leq 2x}} (p_{n+1}-p_n) \ll x^{2/3}, \] [Q. J. Math. 58, No. ~4, 489--518 (2007; Zbl 1141.11042)], the author proves: Let \(c_i\) be a sequence of real numbers with \(c_i\geq 2\). Let \(C_n = c_1 \cdots c_n\). There exists \(\alpha>2\) such that the sequence \(\lfloor \alpha^{C_n} \rfloor\) contains only prime numbers. The set of such numbers \(\alpha\) has the cardinality of the continuum, is nowhere dense and has measure zero. In particular for \(c_i=2^i\) this shows that there is some \(\alpha >2\) such that \(\lfloor \alpha^{2^n} \rfloor\) contains only prime numbers. On the Riemann Hypothesis the condition can be weakened to \(c_i \geq \frac{1+\sqrt{5}}{2}\).