Note on a conjecture of Bateman and diamond concerning the abstract PNT with Malliavin-type remainder (Q2232811)

A Beurling system of generalized primes \(\mathcal{P}\) is an unbounded sequence of real numbers \((p_j)_j\geq 1\) satisfying \(1<p_1<p_2<\ldots\), and a Beurling system of generalized integers \(\mathcal{N}\) is the multiplicative semigroup generated by \(1\) and \(\mathcal{P}\). One often denotes by \(\pi(x)\) and \(N(x)\) the number of generalized primes and generalized integers not exceeding \(x\), respectively. An important result proved by Beurling states that if \(N(x)=ax+O(x(\log x)^{-\gamma})\), where \(a>0\) and \(\gamma>3/2\), then \(\pi(x)\sim x/\log x\) -- A nice generalization of the Prime Number Theorem. A conjecture by \textit{P. T. Bateman} and \textit{H. G. Diamond} [MAA Stud. Math. 6, Studies Number Theory, 152--210 (1969; Zbl 0216.31403)] states that if \(\alpha^*(\beta)\) is the supremum of all \(\alpha\) for which \[N(x)=ax+O(x\exp(-c(\log x)^{\beta}))\] implies \[\pi(x)=Li(x)+O(x\exp(-c'(\log x)^{\alpha})),\] then \(\alpha^*(\beta)\geq \beta/(\beta+1)\), (see the paper under review for an historical account leading to this conjecture) where \(Li(x)\) is the traditional logarithmic integral. In the paper under review the author proves that \(\alpha^*(\beta)\leq \beta/(\beta+1)\) by constructing a concrete example of a Beurling system of integers with \[N(x)=ax+O(x\exp(-c'(\log x)^{\beta})),\] \[\pi(x)=Li(x)+O(x\exp(-c(\log x)^{\beta/(\beta+1)})),\] but for which also \[\pi(x)=Li(x)+\Omega(x\exp(-c''(\log x)^{\beta/(\beta+1)})).\]