A note on primes in short intervals (Q944205)

Let \(\psi(x) = \sum_{n \leq x} \Lambda(n)\), where \(\Lambda(n)\) is von Mangoldt's function. In this paper, the author studies the asymptotic formula \[ \psi(x + x^{\theta}) - \psi(x) \sim x^{\theta} \quad \roman{as\;} x \to \infty. \eqno{(*)} \] \textit{D. R. Heath-Brown} [J. Reine Angew. Math. 389, 22--63 (1988; Zbl 0646.10032)] has shown that (\(*\)) holds with \(\theta \geq 7/12 - \varepsilon(x)\), where \(\varepsilon(x) \downarrow 0\). Moreover, under unproved hypotheses such as the Riemann Hypothesis or the Lindelöf Hypothesis, (\(*\)) is known to hold for all \(\theta > 1/2\). In the paper under review, the author proves that such a result holds under a weaker unproved hypothesis, which follows from Lindelöf's: \textbf{Hypothesis.} For all \(\varepsilon > 0\) and all \(\theta\) with \(1/2 < \theta \leq 7/12\), one has \[ \int_X^{2X} |\psi(x + x^{\theta}) - \psi(x) - x^{\theta} + \Delta(x, \theta)|^4 \, dx \ll X^{1 + 3\theta + \varepsilon}, \] where \(\Delta(x,\theta) \ll X^{\theta}(\log X)^{-1}\) for all \(x\) with \(X < x \leq 2X\).