Related papers: Hitting a prime in 2.43 dice rolls (on average)

To select a subset of samples or "winners" from a population of candidates, order sampling [Rosen 1997] and the k-unit Myerson auction [Myerson 1981] share a common scheme: assign a (random) score to each candidate, then select the k…

The set of short intervals between consecutive primes squared has the pleasant---but seemingly unexploited---property that each interval $s_k:=\{p_k^2, \dots,p_{k+1}^2-1\}$ is fully sieved by the $k$ first primes. Here we take advantage of…

Assuming a uniform $q$-variant of the prime $k$-tuple conjecture, we compute moments of the number of primes in arithmetic progressions to a large modulus $q$ as the residue classes vary. Consequently, depending on the size of $\varphi(q)$,…

n this paper, we state several conjectures regarding distribution of primes and of pairs of primes represented by irreducible homogeneous polynomial in two variables $f(a,b)$. We formulate conjectures with respect to the slope $t=b/a$ for…

Consider a coin tossing experiment which consists of tossing one of two coins at a time, according to a renewal process. The first coin is fair and the second has probability $1/2 + \theta$, $\theta \in [-1/2,1/2]$, $\theta$ unknown but…

We prove that every odd number $N$ greater than 1 can be expressed as the sum of at most five primes, improving the result of Ramar\'e that every even natural number can be expressed as the sum of at most six primes. We follow the circle…

This paper gives a straightforward self-contained proof of the formula for the variance of the number of comparisons used by the Quicksort sorting algorithm when pivots are chosen uniformly at random. The result has been known for some time…

We pose 100 new conjectures on representations involving primes or related things, which might interest number theorists and stimulate further research. Below are five typical examples: (i) For any positive integer $n$, there exists…

An interesting episode in the history of the prime number theorem concerns a formula proposed by Legendre for counting the primes below a given bound. We point out that arithmetic bias likely played an important role in arriving at that…

Assuming a $q$-variant of the prime $k$-tuple conjecture uniformly, we compute mixed moments of the number of primes in disjoint short intervals and progressions, respectively. This involves estimating the mean of singular series along…

By using Beta Dirichlet series and then Eisenstein series we ca represent primes with first a good approximation and an exact expression. This can be done with arbitrary prime (up to 10^101).

We identify a new type of paradoxical behavior in dice, where the sum of independent rolls produces a deceptive sequence of dominance relations. We call these ``anti-inductive dice". Consider a game with two players and two non-identical…

In a prophet inequality problem, $n$ independent random variables are presented to a gambler one by one. The gambler decides when to stop the sequence and obtains the most recent value as reward. We evaluate a stopping rule by the…

Let $p_n$ be $n$th prime, and let $(S_n)_{n=1}^\infty:=(S_n)$ be the sequence of the sums of the first $2n$ consecutive primes, that is, $S_n=\sum_{k=1}^{2n}p_k$ with $n=1,2,\ldots$. Heuristic arguments supported by the corresponding…

The author has previously extended the theory of regular and irregular primes to the setting of arbitrary totally real number fields. It has been conjectured that the Bernoulli numbers, or alternatively the values of the Riemann zeta…

Define a natural number $n$ as a \textit{square-full} integer if for every prime $p$ such that $p|n$, we have $p^2|n$. In this paper, we establish an upper bound on the variance of square-full integers in short intervals of an expected…

We investigate the average number of representations of a positive integer as the sum of $k + 1$ perfect $k$-th powers of primes. We extend recent results of Languasco and the last Author, which dealt with the case $k = 2$ [6] and $k = 3$…

Many people have flipped coins but few have stopped to ponder the statistical and physical intricacies of the process. We collected $350{,}757$ coin flips to test the counterintuitive prediction from a physics model of human coin tossing…

Faced with a sequence of N binary events, such as coin flips (or Ising spins), it is natural to ask whether these events reflect some underlying dynamic signals or are just random. Plausible models for the dynamics of hidden biases lead to…

Predicting the outcome of sports events is a hard task. We quantify this difficulty with a coefficient that measures the distance between the observed final results of sports leagues and idealized perfectly balanced competitions in terms of…