Diffraction of the primes and other sets of zero density
The authors analyze the mathematical diffraction properties of the set of prime numbers and other sparse sets. They demonstrate that the diffraction of the primes is absolutely continuous, meaning there are no Bragg peaks or sharp spectral features -- contrary to earlier conjectures suggesting crystal-like structure in primes. To study such sets, which have zero natural density, the authors introduce counting diffraction, a new concept extending classical diffraction theory beyond sets of positive density. They show that this approach remains consistent with the traditional density diffraction for dense sets but continues to yield meaningful results when the density vanishes.\N\NThe authors develop the theoretical framework of counting autocorrelation and diffraction, defining their existence and convergence in locally compact abelian groups. Moreover, they prove that for sets of zero density, density diffraction always vanishes, but counting diffraction can still capture nontrivial structural information.\N\NUsing this theory, they analyze the primes, prime powers, and twin primes, proving that the diffraction measure of the primes equals the Lebesgue measure, confirming a purely continuous spectrum. This indicates that any apparent ordered patterns seen in finite numerical experiments arise solely from finite-size effects. Further, they construct examples of zero-density sets exhibiting every possible spectral type -- pure point, absolutely continuous, and singular continuous -- showing that sparse sets can produce a full range of diffraction behaviors.
- Almost periodic measures and their Fourier transforms
- Aperiodic order. Volume 1. A mathematical invitation
- Bounded gaps between primes
- Diffraction and Palm measure of point processes
- Diffraction of Weighted Lattice Subsets
- Dynamical systems on translation bounded measures: pure point dynamical and diffraction spectra
- Dynamics on the graph of the torus parametrization
- Generalized model sets and dynamical systems
- Hidden multiscale order in the primes
- scientific article; zbMATH DE number 42073 (Why is no real title available?)
- scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3482665 (Why is no real title available?)
- scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1022658 (Why is no real title available?)
- scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3320477 (Why is no real title available?)
- On diffraction by aperiodic structures
- On the Fourier analysis of measures with Meyer set support
- On weak model sets of extremal density
- Periods and factors of weak model sets
- Small gaps between primes
- Spectral theory and x-ray diffraction
- The large sieve
- The structure factor of primes
- Uncovering multiscale order in the prime numbers via scattering
- Variants of the Selberg sieve, and bounded intervals containing many primes
- Waring's problem for algebraic number fields and primes of the form \((p^ r -1)/(p^ d-1)\)
- Weighted Dirac combs with pure point diffraction
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