Primes as Energy levels (eigenvalues of a certain operator)

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Discussion Overview

The discussion explores the relationship between prime numbers and energy levels, specifically considering primes as eigenvalues of a certain operator or partition function. Participants examine the implications of the Riemann Zeta function in this context, as well as the potential for random matrix theory to provide insights into this relationship.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that primes could be considered as energy levels (eigenvalues) of a partition function or operator, referencing the Riemann Zeta function.
  • Another participant mentions random matrix theory as a relevant framework, implying its established significance without further elaboration.
  • A different participant proposes that the sum of exponentials of the primes could be interpreted as the trace of a certain operator, raising questions about the approximation of this sum.
  • One participant challenges the existence of a matrix with all primes as its only eigenvalues but notes the presence of matrices where the most negative eigenvalue is close to a prime.
  • Another participant discusses an infinite matrix and suggests that its eigenvalues, when sorted and rounded, may contain an infinite sequence of consecutive prime numbers.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the existence and properties of matrices related to primes, with no consensus reached on the validity of the proposed models or interpretations.

Contextual Notes

Some claims depend on specific definitions and assumptions regarding operators and eigenvalues, and the mathematical steps involved in the proposed interpretations remain unresolved.

eljose
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"primes" as Energy levels...(eigenvalues of a certain operator)

I have heard about the Riemann Zeta function to be some kind of physical partition function..my question is..could we consider primes as "Energy levels" (eigenvalues) of a certain partition function or operator?..in the form that exit an operator P so:

[tex]P|\psi>=p_{n}|\psi>[/tex]

could someone give some information of the "Riemann zeta function" as an statistical partition function?..thanks.
 
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It's called random matrix theory, it is very famous, I've explained it to you before, and you can use google.
 
My question is...could be the sum:

[tex]\sum_{n} e^{-sp_{n}}=f(s)[/tex] be interpreted as the "Trace" of certain operator so we can give an "estimation" for this SUm f(s), consierng primes are "eigenvalues" of a certain Hermitian operator that have a random matrix approach, or if it is satisfied that if we have:

[tex]P|\psi>=p_n |\psi>[/tex]

then [tex]f(s)=Tr[e^{-sP}][/tex] (at least as an approximation)
 
What if eljose gave a thread and no one came?
 


I don't know of any matrix that has all the primes as its only eigenvalues. But there appears to be a matrix such that its most negative eigenvalue (one eigenvalue per matrix) is a prime plus minus a small number.

[itex]T(n,1)=1, T(1,k)=1, n>=k: -\sum\limits_{i=1}^{k-1} T(n-i,k), n<k: -\sum\limits_{i=1}^{n-1} T(k-i,n)[/itex]


[itex]\displaystyle T(n,k) = \begin{bmatrix} +1&+1&+1&+1&+1&+1&+1 \\ +1&-1&+1&-1&+1&-1&+1 \\ +1&+1&-2&+1&+1&-2&+1 \\ +1&-1&+1&-1&+1&-1&+1 \\ +1&+1&+1&+1&-4&+1&+1 \\ +1&-1&-2&-1&+1&+2&+1 \\ +1&+1&+1&+1&+1&+1&-6 \end{bmatrix}[/itex]

For which the list of the most negative eigenvalue for the first 100 matrices is:

{-1., 1.41421, 2.65544, 3.43931, 4.77106, 5.24392, 6.84437, 7.15539, \
7.47476, 7.57341, 10.9223, 11.096, 12.9021, 13.0453, 13.259, 13.4055, \
16.9724, 17.0824, 18.9443, 19.0552, 19.2282, 19.307, 22.9972, \
23.0759, 23.1576, 23.2173, 23.2976, 23.3972, 29.0103, 29.0407, \
30.963, 31.0104, 31.1008, 31.1505, 31.268, 31.34, 37.0284, 37.0658, \
37.1289, 37.174, 41.029, 41.0503, 42.9921, 43.0326, 43.0807, 43.1149, \
46.996, 47.0293, 47.0619, 47.1025, 47.1582, 47.2011, 53.0192, \
53.0497, 53.1076, 53.1419, 53.1893, 53.2117, 59.0477, 59.0681, \
61.0248, 61.0474, 61.0812, 61.1071, 61.1644, 61.1812, 67.0341, \
67.059, 67.0929, 67.1062, 71.027, 71.0496, 73.014, 73.0331, 73.0575, \
73.0829, 73.1282, 73.1427, 79.024, 79.0442, 79.0633, 79.0799, \
83.0154, 83.0287, 83.0648, 83.0806, 83.1091, 83.1312, 89.032, \
89.0463, 89.0784, 89.0973, 89.1237, 89.1374, 89.1731, 89.1921, \
97.0597, 97.0753, 97.0963, 97.1128}

which when rounded is:

{-1, 1, 3, 3, 5, 5, 7, 7, 7, 8, 11, 11, 13, 13, 13, 13, 17, 17, 19, \
19, 19, 19, 23, 23, 23, 23, 23, 23, 29, 29, 31, 31, 31, 31, 31, 31, \
37, 37, 37, 37, 41, 41, 43, 43, 43, 43, 47, 47, 47, 47, 47, 47, 53, \
53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 59, 59, 61, 61, 61, 61, 61, 61, 67, 67, 67, 67, \
71, 71, 73, 73, 73, 73, 73, 73, 79, 79, 79, 79, 83, 83, 83, 83, 83, \
83, 89, 89, 89, 89, 89, 89, 89, 89, 97, 97, 97, 97}

Compare this to the previous prime with the Mathematica command:

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=Table[NextPrime[i,+-1],+{i,+1,+101}]"

https://oeis.org/A191898"
 

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Again consider the same infinite matrix above starting:

[itex]T(n,k) = \begin{bmatrix} +1&+1&+1&+1&+1&+1&+1 \\ +1&-1&+1&-1&+1&-1&+1 \\ +1&+1&-2&+1&+1&-2&+1 \\ +1&-1&+1&-1&+1&-1&+1 \\ +1&+1&+1&+1&-4&+1&+1 \\ +1&-1&-2&-1&+1&+2&+1 \\ +1&+1&+1&+1&+1&+1&-6 \end{bmatrix}[/itex]

It then appears that the eigenvalues of a infinitely large matrix [itex]T(n,k)[/itex], when sorted and rounded, contains a infinitely long sequence of consecutive prime numbers.

Example: The 11 most negative eigenvalues of a 300 times 300 [itex]T(n,k)[/itex] matrix are approximately: -293.072, -283.13, -281.127, -277.148, -271.195, -269.177, -263.223, -257.262, -251.299, -241.477, -239.354 which when rounded are: -293, -283, -281, -277, -271, -269, -263, -257, -251, -241, -239 which are the 52nd to the 62nd primes.
 

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