Effective short intervals containing primes
Number Theory
2025-08-29 v2
Abstract
95 years ago Hoheisel proved the existence of primes in the sub-linear interval [x,x+x1−330001]for x sufficiently large. This was improved by Heilbronn, proving existence of primes in the interval [x,x+x1−2501]for x sufficiently large. More recently Baker, Harman, Pintz proved existence of primes in the interval [x,x+x1−4019]for x sufficiently large. In the present article I will, to the extent possible, make some of these statements effective. Specifically, among other things, I shall show that ∀n≥4,∀x≥exp(exp(33)),there are primes in the interval[x,x+x1−n1]; ∀n≥91,∀x≥[9090]n/(n−90),there are primes in the interval[x,x+x1−n1]. Furthermore ∀n≥106,∀x≥1,there are primes in the interval[x,x+x1−n1]. In particular this last observation makes both the Hoheisel and Heilbronn results fully explicit and effective. This (relatively) specific observation can be extended and generalized in various manners.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2508.18786,
title = {Effective short intervals containing primes},
author = {Matt Visser},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2508.18786},
year = {2025}
}
Comments
V1:9 pages; V2:10 pages; two references added; computations updated in view of the newer information supplied in those two references; no qualitative changes, though there are significant quantitative changes