English

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+x1133000]for x sufficiently large. \left[x, x+x^{1-{1\over 33000}}\right] \qquad \hbox{for $x$ sufficiently large}. This was improved by Heilbronn, proving existence of primes in the interval [x,x+x11250]for x sufficiently large. \left[x, x+x^{1-{1\over 250}}\right] \qquad \hbox{for $x$ sufficiently large}. More recently Baker, Harman, Pintz proved existence of primes in the interval [x,x+x11940]for x sufficiently large. \left[x, x+ x^{1-{19\over 40}}\right] \qquad \hbox{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 n4,xexp(exp(33)),there are primes in the interval[x,x+x11n]; \forall n \geq 4, \qquad\forall x \geq \exp(\exp(33)), \qquad \hbox{there are primes in the interval} \left[x, x+ x^{1-{1\over n}}\right]; n91,x[9090]n/(n90),there are primes in the interval[x,x+x11n]. \forall n \geq 91, \qquad\forall x \geq [90^{90}]^{n/(n-90)} , \qquad \hbox{there are primes in the interval} \left[x, x+ x^{1-{1\over n}}\right]. Furthermore n106,x1,there are primes in the interval[x,x+x11n]. \forall n \geq 106, \qquad\forall x \geq 1, \qquad \hbox{there are primes in the interval} \left[x, x+ x^{1-{1\over n}}\right]. 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.

Keywords

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

R2 v1 2026-07-01T05:06:00.232Z