Uniform distribution of subpolynomial functions along primes and applications (Q2000389)

The authors of the present article consider uniform distributions of functions from a Hardy-field along prime numbers. Their methods involve exponential sum estimates as well as Furstenberg's correspondence principle. Let \(\mathcal{P}=\left(p_n\right)_{n\geq1}\) denote the sequence of primes in their natural ordering. Furthermore let \(B\) denote the set of germs at \(+\infty\) of continuous real functions on \(\mathbb{R}\). A subfield \(H\) of \(B\), which is closed under differentiation is called a Hardy field. We denote by \(\mathbf{U}\subset B\) the union of all Hardy fields. A function \(f\in\mathbf{U}\) is called subpolynomial if there exists \(n\in\mathbb{N}\) such that \(\left| f(x)\right| < x^n\) for all large enough \(x\). For a given Hardy field \(H\), let \(\mathbf{H}\) be the set of subpolynomial functions \(\xi\in H\) such that \begin{align*} \text{either }\lim_{x\to\infty}\frac{\xi(x)}{x^{\ell+1}} &=\lim_{x\to\infty}\frac{x^\ell}{\xi(x)}=0 \text{ for some \(\ell\in\mathbb{N}\),}\\ \text{or }\lim_{x\to\infty}\frac{\xi(x)}{x} &=\lim_{x\to\infty}\frac{\log x}{\xi(x)}=0. \end{align*} For a subpolynomial function \(f\in\mathbf{U}\) the authors prove that \((f(p))_{p\in\mathcal{P}}\) is uniformly distributed modulo \(1\) if and only if for all \(P(x)\in\mathbb{Q}[x]\), \[ \lim_{x\to\infty}\frac{f(x)-P(x)}{\log x}=\pm\infty. \] As an application the authors deduce a van der Neumann-type result. In particular, let \(U_1,\ldots,U_k\) be commuting unitary operators on a Hilbert space \(\mathcal{H}\) and let \(\xi_1,\ldots,\xi_k\in\mathbf{H}\) be such that \(\sum_{i=1}^kb_i\xi_i\in\mathbf{H}\) for every \((b_1,\ldots,b_k)\in\mathbb{R}^k\setminus\{(0,0,\ldots,0)\}\). Then the authors show that \[ \lim_{N\to\infty}\frac1N\sum_{n=1}^N U_1^{\lfloor \xi(p_n)\rfloor}\cdots U_k^{\lfloor \xi_k(p_n)\rfloor}f=f^*, \] strongly in \(\mathcal{H}\), where \(f^*\) is the projection of \(f\) on \(\mathcal{H}_{\text{inv}}:=\{f\in \mathcal{H}\colon U_if=f\text{ for all }i\}\). This yields further applications to intersective sets.