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The Prime Number Theorem

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11 views2 pages

The Prime Number Theorem

Uploaded by

hns83418
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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The Prime Number Theorem

Dr. Alex Matheson

2023-10-15

1 Introduction
The prime number theorem is a fundamental result in number theory that
describes the asymptotic distribution of prime numbers. It formally states
how primes are distributed among the integers.

2 Statement of the Theorem


Let (x) denote the number of prime numbers less than or equal to x. The
prime number theorem states that:

π(x)
lim =1
x→∞ x/ log x

This means that (x) is approximately equal to x / log x for large values
of x.

3 Historical Background
The conjecture regarding the distribution of primes was first proposed by
Adrien-Marie Legendre and Carl Friedrich Gauss in the early 19th century.
It was finally proved independently by Jacques Hadamard and Charles-Jean
de la Vallée Poussin in 1896 using complex analysis, specifically properties
of the Riemann zeta function.

1
4 Proof Strategy
The proof of the prime number theorem involves deep results from complex
analysis, particularly the non-vanishing of the Riemann zeta function (s) on
the line Re(s) = 1 in the complex plane. Utilizing contour integration and
properties of analytic functions, both Hadamard and de la Vallée Poussin
successfully established the desired result.

5 Implications and Applications


Understanding the distribution of prime numbers has significant implications
for number theory and related fields such as cryptography. The theorem also
underpins many algorithms in computer science that involve prime numbers.

6 Conclusion
The prime number theorem exemplifies the profound connection between
number theory and analysis. It not only reveals the inherent structure within
the apparent randomness of primes but also enriches our mathematical tool-
box for future discoveries.

7 References
• Hadamard, Jacques. Sur la distribution des zéros de la fonc-
tion (s) et ses conséquences arithmétiques. Comptes Rendus de
l’Académie des Sciences, 1896.

• de la Vallée Poussin, Charles-Jean. Recherches analytiques sur la


théorie des nombres premiers. Annales de la Société scientifique
de Bruxelles, 1896.

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