MHB Is There a Larger Interval Where \(k^2 + k + n\) Generates Only Primes?

  • Thread starter Thread starter mathbalarka
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Polynomials
mathbalarka
Messages
452
Reaction score
0
Given that $k^2 + k + n$ is always prime for all positive integer $k$ in the interval $\left (0, (n/3)^{1/2} \right )$. Find the largest interval for which the same can be stated.

This easily follows from Heegner-Stark theorem, but can you show the same bypassing it, without going through the finititude of class-1 numbers?
 
Mathematics news on Phys.org
One can find my solution below :

Let $m$ be the least integer for which $f(m)$ is composite, where $f(x) = x^2 + x + n$.

As the hypothesis go, $m > \sqrt{n/3}$, hence $n < 3m^2$.

Let $p$ be the smallest prime dividing $f(m)$. We get then that $p \leq \sqrt{f(m)}$.

$$p^2 \leq f(m) < m^2 + m + 3m^2 < (2m + 1)^2$$

Hence, $p \leq 2m$.

Now, consider the product $\prod_{k = 0}^{m-1} \left [ f(m) - f(k) \right ]$. If we factor out $f(m) - f(k)$ as $(m - k)(m + k + 1)$, this gives :

$$\prod_{k = 0}^{m-1} \left [ f(m) - f(k) \right ] = \prod_{k = 0}^{m-1} \left [ (m - k)(m + k + 1) \right ] = (2m)!$$

As $p \leq 2m$, $p$ divides $(2m)!$, hence $p$ divides in turn on of the factors $(m - \mathcal{l})(m + \mathcal{l} + 1)$, implying $p \leq m + \mathcal{l} + 1$ for some $\mathcal{l} \leq m - 1$.

Also, as a consequence, $p$ divides $f(m) - f(\mathcal{l})$, and since $p$ also divides $f(m)$, p must divide $f(\mathcal{l})$. By the definition of $m$, $f(\mathcal{l})$ is prime, hence $ p = f(\mathcal{l}) $. This can equivalently be stated as $p - \mathcal{l} = \mathcal{l}^2 + n$.

Combined together with the inequality before, we have :

$$m + 1 \geq p - \mathcal{l} = \mathcal{l}^2 + n \geq n$$

Hence, the largest possible interval for which $f(x)$ is prime in general, is $ ( 0, n - 1) $. $\blacksquare$
 
Insights auto threads is broken atm, so I'm manually creating these for new Insight articles. In Dirac’s Principles of Quantum Mechanics published in 1930 he introduced a “convenient notation” he referred to as a “delta function” which he treated as a continuum analog to the discrete Kronecker delta. The Kronecker delta is simply the indexed components of the identity operator in matrix algebra Source: https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/what-exactly-is-diracs-delta-function/ by...
Fermat's Last Theorem has long been one of the most famous mathematical problems, and is now one of the most famous theorems. It simply states that the equation $$ a^n+b^n=c^n $$ has no solutions with positive integers if ##n>2.## It was named after Pierre de Fermat (1607-1665). The problem itself stems from the book Arithmetica by Diophantus of Alexandria. It gained popularity because Fermat noted in his copy "Cubum autem in duos cubos, aut quadratoquadratum in duos quadratoquadratos, et...
I'm interested to know whether the equation $$1 = 2 - \frac{1}{2 - \frac{1}{2 - \cdots}}$$ is true or not. It can be shown easily that if the continued fraction converges, it cannot converge to anything else than 1. It seems that if the continued fraction converges, the convergence is very slow. The apparent slowness of the convergence makes it difficult to estimate the presence of true convergence numerically. At the moment I don't know whether this converges or not.
Back
Top