Related papers: Almost-prime values of polynomials at prime argume…

In this paper we establish function field versions of two classical conjectures on prime numbers. The first says that the number of primes in intervals (x,x+x^epsilon] is about x^epsilon/log x and the second says that the number of primes…

Let $\mathbb{F}_p$ be the finite field of prime order $p$. For any function $f \colon \mathbb{F}_p{}^n \to \mathbb{F}_p$, there exists a unique polynomial over $\mathbb{F}_p$ having degree at most $p-1$ with respect to each variable which…

We provide upper bounds on the total number of irreducible factors, and in particular irreducibility criteria for some classes of bivariate polynomials $f(x,y)$ over an arbitrary field $\mathbb{K}$. Our results rely on information on the…

Let $p$ be a prime. If an integer $g$ generates a subgroup of index $t$ in $(\mathbb Z/p\mathbb Z)^*,$ then we say that $g$ is a $t$-near primitive root modulo $p$. We point out the easy result that each primitive residue class contains a…

It is proven that, in any given base, there are infinitely many palindromic numbers having at most six prime divisors, each relatively large. The work involves equidistribution estimates for the palindromes in residue classes to large…

Fix $a \in \mathbb{Z}$, $a\notin \{0,\pm 1\}$. A simple argument shows that for each $\epsilon > 0$, and almost all (asymptotically 100% of) primes $p$, the multiplicative order of $a$ modulo $p$ exceeds $p^{\frac12-\epsilon}$. It is an…

Let f\in \mathbb{Z}[x,y] be an irreducible homogeneous polynomial of degree 3. We show that f(x,y) has an even number of prime factors as often as an odd number of prime factors.

Consider a semi-algebraic set A in R^d constructed from the sets which are determined by inequalities p_i(x)>0, p_i(x)\ge 0, or p_i(x)=0 for a given list of polynomials p_1,...,p_m. We prove several statements that fit into the following…

Many interesting questions in arithmetic dynamics revolve, in one way or another, around the (local and/or global) reducibility behavior of iterates of a polynomial. We show that for very general families of integer polynomials $f$ (and,…

Let $R(x)=g(x)/h(x)$ be a rational expression of degree three over the finite field $\mathbb{F}_q$. We count the irreducible polynomials in $\mathbb{F}_q[x]$, of a given degree, which have the form $h(x)^{\mathrm{deg}\, f}\cdot…

For a large prime $p$, and a polynomial $f$ over a finite field $F_p$ of $p$ elements, we obtain a lower bound on the size of the multiplicative subgroup of $F_p^*$ containing $H\ge 1$ consecutive values $f(x)$, $x = u+1, \ldots, u+H$,…

We consider polynomial equations, or systems of polynomial equations, with integer coefficients, modulo prime numbers $p$. We offer an elementary approach based on a counting method. The outcome is a weak form of the Lang-Weil lower bound…

A group of order $p^n$ ($p$ prime) has an indecomposable polynomial invariant of degree at least $p^{n-1}$ if and only if the group has a cyclic subgroup of index at most $p$ or it is isomorphic to one of two particular groups of small…

This paper, a continuation of [3], involves a closer study of polynomials of supertropical semirings and their version of tropical geometry in which we introduce the concept of relatively prime polynomials and resultants, with the aid of…

The following result, a consequence of Dumas criterion for irreducibility of polynomials over integers, is generally proved using the notion of Newton diagram: Let $f(x)$ be a polynomial with integer coefficients and $k$ be a positive…

For $k\ge1$, a $k$-almost prime is a positive integer with exactly $k$ prime factors, counted with multiplicity. In this article we give elementary proofs of precise asymptotics for the reciprocal sum of $k$-almost primes. Our results match…

Let $\mathcal{F}=\{f_1,\ldots,f_R\}$ be a family of forms of odd degrees at most $d$ in $s$ variables. We study the solutions to the system $f_1(\mathbf{x})=\ldots=f_R(\mathbf{x})=0$ of the form $x_i=y_ip_i$ with $|y_i|\leq Y_\mathcal{F}$…

Let $p$ be a prime number and let $S=\{x^p+c_1,\dots,x^p+c_r\}$ be a finite set of unicritical polynomials for some $c_1,\dots,c_r\in\mathbb{Z}$. Moreover, assume that $S$ contains at least one irreducible polynomial over $\mathbb{Q}$. Then…

If p is a prime and n a positive integer, let v(n) denote the exponent of p in n, and u(n)=n/p^{v(n)} the unit part of n. If k is a positive integer not divisible by p, we show that the p-adic limit of (-1)^{pke} u((kp^e)!) as e goes to…

Let $f$ be a polynomial of degree $d>6$, with integer coefficients. Then the paucity of non-trivial positive integer solutions to the equation $f(a)+f(b)=f(c)+f(d)$ is established. The corresponding situation for equal sums of three like…