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Erdős Problem 145

Reference: erdosproblems.com/145

namespace Erdos145 open Filteropen scoped Topology

Let $s_1 < s_2 < \cdots$ be the sequence of squarefree numbers.

noncomputable abbrev s (n : ) : := Nat.nth Squarefree n

Let $A(x)$ denote the set of indices $n$ for which $s_n \leq x$.

noncomputable abbrev A (x : ) : Finset := (Finset.Icc 0 x⌋₊).preimage s (Nat.nth_injective Nat.squarefree_infinite).injOn

Let $s_1 < s_2 < \cdots$ be the sequence of squarefree numbers. Is it true that, for any $\alpha\geq 0$, $$ \lim_{x\to\infty} \frac{1}{x}\sum_{s_n\leq x}(s_{n+1}-s_n)^\alpha $$ exists?

@[category research open, AMS 11] theorem declaration uses 'sorry'erdos_145 : answer(sorry) α (0 : ), β : , atTop.Tendsto (fun x : 1 / x * n A x, (s (n + 1) - s n : ) ^ α) (𝓝 β) := True α 0, β, Tendsto (fun x => 1 / x * n A x, ((s (n + 1)) - (s n)) ^ α) atTop (𝓝 β) All goals completed! 🐙

Erdős [Er51] proved this for all $0\leq \alpha\leq 2$.

[Er51] Erdös, P., Some problems and results in elementary number theory. Publ. Math. Debrecen (1951), 103-109.

@[category research solved, AMS 11] theorem declaration uses 'sorry'erdos_145.variants.le_two {α : } ( : α Set.Icc 0 2) : β : , atTop.Tendsto (fun x : 1 / x * n A x, (s (n + 1) - s n : ) ^ α) (𝓝 β) := α::α Set.Icc 0 2 β, Tendsto (fun x => 1 / x * n A x, ((s (n + 1)) - (s n)) ^ α) atTop (𝓝 β) All goals completed! 🐙

Hooley [Ho73] extended this to all $0 \leq \alpha\leq 3$.

[Ho73] Hooley, Christopher, On the intervals between consecutive terms of sequences. Proc. Symp. Pure Math, vol. 24, pp. 129-140. 1973.

@[category research solved, AMS 11] theorem declaration uses 'sorry'erdos_145.variants.le_three {α : } ( : α Set.Icc 0 3) : β : , atTop.Tendsto (fun x : 1 / x * n A x, (s (n + 1) - s n : ) ^ α) (𝓝 β) := α::α Set.Icc 0 3 β, Tendsto (fun x => 1 / x * n A x, ((s (n + 1)) - (s n)) ^ α) atTop (𝓝 β) All goals completed! 🐙

Greaves, Harman, and Huxley [GHH97] showed that this is true for $0 \leq \alpha\leq 11/3$.

[GHH97] Greaves, G. R. H. and Harman, G. and Huxley, M. N., Sieve Methods, Exponential Sums, and their Applications in Number Theory. (1997).

@[category research solved, AMS 11] theorem declaration uses 'sorry'erdos_145.variants.le_eleven_thirds {α : } ( : α Set.Icc 0 (11 / 3)) : β : , atTop.Tendsto (fun x : 1 / x * n A x, (s (n + 1) - s n : ) ^ α) (𝓝 β) := α::α Set.Icc 0 (11 / 3) β, Tendsto (fun x => 1 / x * n A x, ((s (n + 1)) - (s n)) ^ α) atTop (𝓝 β) All goals completed! 🐙 end Erdos145