A note on uniform distribution for primes and closed orbits (Q1821409)

This paper presents some results on the interesting analogy between the distribution of prime numbers and the distribution of the periods of closed orbits of axiom A flows. To draw this analogy one considers a weak-mixing axiom A flow restricted to a basic set. For a closed orbit \(\tau\) let \(\lambda\) (\(\tau)\) denote its minimum period. Also, let h denote the topological entropy of the flow. One defines for \(t>0\), \(\pi(t) =\) Card\((\tau | \exp h\lambda(\tau)\leq t\}\). Then, the analogue of the prime number theorem in this context states: \[ \lim_{t\to \infty}\frac{\pi (t)}{(t/\log t)}=1. \] This was proved by \textit{W. Parry} and the author [Ann. Math., II. Ser. 118, 573-591 (1983; Zbl 0537.58038)]. In the paper under review a similar result is proved in analogy with Vinogradov's theorem on the uniform distribution of primes, i.e., if \(\alpha\in (0,1)\) is irrational, then \(\alpha p\) (mod 1) is uniformly distributed as p varies over the primes. A short proof of this classic result is also given in the paper.