Proving the Infinitude of Primes: Euler's Proof and Its Limitations

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    Infinite Primes Proof
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SUMMARY

Euler's proof of the infinitude of prime numbers is established through the divergence of the sum of their reciprocals, specifically using the Riemann zeta function at s=1. The left-hand side diverges, necessitating that the right-hand side also diverges, which implies an infinite number of primes. This approach does not assume the infinitude of primes but relies on the infinite nature of positive integers. The discussion raises questions about the implications of divergence and the uniformity of prime distribution.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of the Riemann zeta function
  • Knowledge of series convergence and divergence
  • Familiarity with prime number theory
  • Basic calculus concepts related to infinite series
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  • Research the Riemann zeta function and its implications in number theory
  • Study Euler's original proof of the infinitude of primes
  • Explore the concept of series divergence in mathematical analysis
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Mathematicians, students of number theory, educators teaching calculus, and anyone interested in the foundational proofs of prime number theory.

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Infinite primes proof?

Someone told me Euler proved that there are infinitely many prime numbers by proving that the sum of their reciprocals is infinite.

I have one concern. How can you prove the infinitude of primes by this method without assuming the set to be infinite in the first place.
 
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Search for zeta function by euler, over internet and how it's proved:

zeta_function.jpg


for s=1, LHS diverges.
So RHS must diverge as well, for s=1, which helps to deduce that rhs has infinite terms,ie. infinite number of primes.

So,you actually don't need to assume infinite number of primes before hand, but rather just that there are infinite number of positive integers.
 


So, because the series diverges we can say there are infinitely many primes, but is that because the primes exhibit some uniformity in their distribution? my calc teacher has been over divergence and convergence several times and all that divergence seems to mean is that the denominator grows less quickly than that of a convergent function. Also, when a function converges, it doesn't prove the series is finite, so how can this be a helpful test?
 

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