Beurling generalized integers with the Delone Property (Q4244397)

The real numbers of the set \(P=\{g_1,g_2,\dots\}\) with the conditions \(1<g_1\leq g_2\leq\dots\), \(g_j\to\infty\), and the elements \(n_i\) of the multiplicative semigroup \(G\), generated by \(P\), are called generalized primes and generalized integers correspondingly, introduced by A. Beurling, 1937. We say that \(G\) has the Delone property if there are positive constants \(r,R\) such that \(R\geq n_{i+1}-n_i\geq r\) for all \(i\geq 1\). This implies that \(G\) has the unique factorization property. In the note under review the author succeeds in classifying all such semigroups which are contained in the natural numbers. He proves that the set of generalized primes \(P\) consists of all but finitely many ordinary primes, plus finitely many other composites. Therefore \(G\) contains all arithmetic progressions modulo a suitable squarefree number. The essential step is a combinatorial sieving process using the Chinese remainder theorem and the existence of distinct representatives of certain set systems. It remains open whether there are semigroups \(G\) with the Delone property which are not contained in the natural numbers.