Sparse sets that satisfy the prime number theorem (Q6150382)

Let \(S_{f,x}:=\{f(n):n \leq x\}\), where we restrict \(S_{f,x}\) to those sets where \(f\) is positive integer valued and not piecewise defined. Also, let \[ \pi(S_{f,x}):=\left|\{s \in S_{f,x}: s\text{ is prime}\}\right|. \] We say a set \(S_{f,x}\) satisfies the prime number theorem if \[ \pi(S_{f,x})\sim \frac{|S_{f,x}|}{\log |S_{f,x}|}. \] The density of a set \(S_{f,x}\), if it exists, defined by \[ D_{f,x}:=\frac{|S_{f,x}|}{\max{S_{f,x}}-\min{S_{f,x}}}. \] We say a function \(f\) (or its set \(S_{f,x}\)) is sparse if \(D_{f,x} \not \sim 1\). A function \(f\) (or its set \(S_{f,x}\)) is said to be sparser than a function \(g\) (or its set \(S_{g,x}\)) if \(\lim_{x \to \infty} D_{f,x}/D_{g,x}=0\). The authors first mention, based on previously known results, that the family of sets \(S_{\lfloor{n^c}\rfloor, x}\) do not satisfy the prime number theorem. In contrast, the family of sets \(S_{\lfloor{\alpha n+b}\rfloor,x}\) do satisfy the prime number theorem. Moreover, \(D_{\lfloor{\alpha x+\beta}\rfloor,x} \sim \frac1{\alpha}\). The main result of the paper under review concerns the family of sets \(S_{\lfloor{\frac{x}{n^t}}\rfloor,x}\). The authors prove that if \(t > 1\), \(x \geq e\) are real numbers satisfying \[ x \geq \max \left\{(368t)^{385(t+1)(N+2)}, (\log x)^{154t(t+1)(N+2)},t^{2t^2} , t^t e^{818(t+1)(N+2)^2}\right\}, \] then, the following full asymptotic expansion for \(\pi(S_{\lfloor{\frac{x}{n^t}}\rfloor,x})\) holds for all integers \(N\geq 0\), \begin{align*} \pi \left( S_{\left\lfloor\frac{x}{n^t}\right\rfloor,x}\right) &=\left( \frac{x}{t^t}\right)^{\frac{1}{t+1}} \frac{(t+1)^2}{\log x} \sum_{k=0}^{N} \left( \frac{t \log t}{\log x}\right)^k \\ &+\left( \frac{x}{t^t}\right)^{\frac{1}{t+1}} \frac{t+1}{\log x} \sum_{j=1}^N \sum_{k=0}^{N-j} j!\binom{j+k}{k} \frac{t^k(t+1)^j (\log t)^k}{(\log x)^{j+k}} \left( 1 + (-t)^j t\right) \\ &+O_N \left( \left( \frac{x}{t^t}\right)^{\frac{1}{t+1}} \frac{t^2}{\log x} \left( \frac{t^2 \log t}{\log x} \right)^{N+1} \right). \end{align*} Accordingly, the authors propose the conjecture asserting that the family of sets \(S_{\lfloor{\frac{x}{n^t}}\rfloor,x}\) are the sparsest sets that satisfy the prime number theorem.