Is Legendre's Conjecture on Primes Between n² and (n+1)² Fully Resolved?

  • Context: Graduate 
  • Thread starter Thread starter CRGreathouse
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Conjecture
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on Legendre's conjecture, which posits that there is at least one prime number between \( n^2 \) and \( (n+1)^2 \) for every positive integer \( n \). Participants explore the current state of knowledge regarding this conjecture, including related conjectures and the challenges in proving or disproving it.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants inquire about the latest findings related to Legendre's conjecture beyond what is available on MathWorld, noting that it seems 'obvious' yet lacks a clear method of proof.
  • One participant references a conjecture by Schinzel, suggesting that it may provide sharper insights into the distribution of primes compared to Legendre's conjecture, and seeks evidence or references for this conjecture.
  • Another participant reiterates the inquiry about recent progress on Legendre's conjecture and expresses a desire for more information on the topic.
  • A participant provides a link to an article that offers background information on the conjecture, indicating a lack of recent advancements.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not appear to reach a consensus on the current status of Legendre's conjecture, with some expressing uncertainty about recent progress and others suggesting alternative conjectures that may be more relevant.

Contextual Notes

There is a mention of varying conjectures related to prime distribution, which may influence the understanding of Legendre's conjecture. The discussion highlights the absence of a definitive method for addressing the conjecture and the need for further exploration.

CRGreathouse
Science Advisor
Homework Helper
Messages
2,832
Reaction score
0
Is anything more known about Legendre's conjecture that there is a prime between n^2 and (n+1)^2 for positive integers n than what appears on MathWorld?

MW says that a prime or semiprime always satisfies this, and that there is always a prime between n and n^{23/42} (21/42 would be equivilent to Legendre's conjecture).

How far has this been checked? It seems 'obvious' that it should hold, and yet there's no clear method of attacking the problem.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Also, I see here
http://www.primepuzzles.net/problems/prob_004.htm

a mention of a conjecture of Schinzel: [tex]\pi(n+\ln(n)^2)>\pi(n)[/tex] for n > 8. Does anyone have a reference for this, or evidence of its correctness? It seems a lot sharper than many conjectures I've seen, and certainly it's sharper than Legendre's conjecture. Still, the number of primes in the regon seems to grow at a fair pace, leading me to believe that it's at least reasonable.
 
Last edited:
CRGreathouse said:
Is anything more known about Legendre's conjecture that there is a prime between n^2 and (n+1)^2 for positive integers n than what appears on MathWorld?

MW says that a prime or semiprime always satisfies this, and that there is always a prime between n and n^{23/42} (21/42 would be equivilent to Legendre's conjecture).

How far has this been checked? It seems 'obvious' that it should hold, and yet there's no clear method of attacking the problem.


Since we were on this subject, do you know where to find more information on this?
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
3K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
1K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
4K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
5K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
4K
Replies
1
Views
4K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
4K
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
6K