On the set of divisors of an integer

In recent years, a number of interesting papers on various aspects of the distribution and propinquity of the divisors of \(n\) have appeared in the literature and this paper is a further contribution. If \(\xi(n)\) is any function tending to infinity, the authors prove that for almost all \(n\) \[ \inf \{\log d'/d: d\mid n,\ d'\mid n,\ d<d'\}\leq(\log n)^{1-\log 3} \exp(\xi(n)\sqrt{\log \log n}). \tag{1} \] Comparing this with a result in the opposite direction obtained by \textit{P. Erdős} and \textit{R. R. Hall} in [Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 11, 304--307 (1979; Zbl 0421.10027)], it is seen that (1) is not very far from best possible. The initial step in the proof is established by means of Fourier analysis and the subsequent number theoretic argument is intricate and delicate. In [J. Lond. Math. Soc., II. Ser. 25, 392--406 (1982; Zbl 0489.10046)], \textit{R. R. Hall} and the second author obtained an upper bound for almost all \(n\), of the form \((\log n)^{\beta}\) \((\beta>0.06221...)\), for Hooley's \(\Delta\)-function defined by \[ \Delta(n)=\sup_{u}\mathrm{card}\{d: d\mid n,\ u<d\le eu\},\quad n=1,2,\ldots. \] Employing ideas used in the proof of (1), the authors show that the lower bound \[ \Delta(n)>(\log \log n)^{\gamma},\] where \(\gamma<0.28754\ldots\), holds for almost all \(n\).

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