Large gaps between consecutive prime numbers containing square-free numbers and perfect powers of prime numbers (Q2809190)

The paper describes an integer \(m\) as ``prime avoiding with constant \(c\)'', if \(m+h\) is composite for every integer \(h\) with NEWLINE\[NEWLINE|h|\leq c\frac{(\log m)(\log\log m)(\log\log\log\log m)}{(\log\log\log)^2},NEWLINE\]NEWLINE this corresponding to \textit{R. A. Rankin}'s theorem [J. Lond. Math. Soc. 13, 242--247 (1938; Zbl 0019.39403)] on large gaps between primes. Previously \textit{K. Ford} et al. [in: Analytic number theory. In honor of Helmut Maier's 60th birthday. Cham: Springer. 83--92 (2015; Zbl 1391.11125)] showed that, for any positive integer \(k\), there are infinitely many prime avoiding \(k\)-th powers, with constant \(c>0\) depending on \(k\).NEWLINENEWLINEThe present paper develops these ideas, and shows that there are infinitely many prime avoiding square-free integers, with a constant \(c>0\). Similarly it is shown that for any positive integer \(k\), there are infinitely many prime avoiding \(k\)-th powers of primes, with constant \(c>0\) depending on \(k\).NEWLINENEWLINEThe proof combines ideas from \textit{H. Maier}'s ``matrix method'' [Adv. Math. 39, 257--269 (1981; Zbl 0457.10023)] with the techniques used by Ford et al [loc. cit.].