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Conference rusure::math

Title:Mathematics at DEC
Moderator:RUSURE::EDP
Created:Mon Feb 03 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2083
Total number of notes:14613

804.0. "Bertrand's Postulate" by ZFC::DERAMO (Have you seen seventeen yellow pigs?) Thu Dec 17 1987 01:49

     My favorite number theory book is

          Elementary Number Theory
          A Problem Oriented Approach

          Joe Roberts
          The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA & London, England
          (c) 1977 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

     Many number theory results are presented in the form of
     problems, with solutions at the back of the book.  One of my
     favorites is problem 12 in chaspter XIV, page 153.  It is
     the result of Bertrand that if n >= 2 is an integer then
     there is a prime strictly between n and 2n.  The problem
     steps are in reply .1.  On the next page it derives that if
     n >= 4 there is a prime strictly between n and 2n - 2; and
     states that although this is not equivalent to the first
     result above that it is sometimes referred to as Bertrand's
     postulate.  I had only heard that name applied to the first
     result.  Anyway, the subproblems follow; you can fill in the
     details in further replies!

     Dan
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804.1n >= 2 --> n < p < 2nZFC::DERAMOOh! There they are ...Thu Dec 17 1987 01:5244
     (due to Bertrand)



     Let P(n) be the product of all primes p such that
     n < p < 2n, defining P(n) = 1 when there are no primes
     between n and 2n.  Then:

     i)         (2n - 1)    n-1
         P(n) < (      ) < 4    for n >= 2
                (   n  )

         [That is 2n-1 "choose" n.  Actually, I think for n = 2
          this says 3 < 3 < 4; perhaps for n > 2 was intended. --
          Dan]

                                              x
    ii)  The product of all primes <= x is < 4  for all real x >= 2

   iii)  If 2 <= 2n/3 < p <= n and p is prime then p does not

                (2n)
         divide (  ) [i.e., 2n "choose" n -- Dan]
                ( n)

              n
    iv)      4       (2n)        (sqrt(2n))/2  2n/3
         --------- < (  ) <= (2n)             4     P(n) for n >= 3.
         2 sqrt(n)   ( n)

                      2n         3 + 3sqrt(2n)
     v)  P(n) > 1 if 4   > 8 (2n)

    vi)  P(n) > 1 if n > 500

   vii)  (Bertrand) if n >= 2 there is a prime strictly between n
         and 2n [i.e., n < p < 2n]

                st                               th
  viii)  The n+1   prime is less than twice the n   prime if n >= 1.

     There it is.  Have fun!

     Dan
804.2CLT::GILBERTBuilderTue Jan 05 1988 15:128
  (iii)	If 2 <= 2n/3 < p <= n and p is prime then p does not divide C(2n,n).

	We see that:
		2n/3 <  p <= n
		4n/3 < 2p <= 2n
	So the exponent for p in the factorization of (2n)! is two, and
	the multiplicity of p in n! is one.  Thus, in C(2n,n) = (2n)!/(n!)^2,
	p has a multiplicity of zero; it doe not divide C(2n,n).
804.3CLT::GILBERTBuilderTue Jan 05 1988 15:5829
                                             x
   (ii)	The product of all primes <= x is < 4  for all real x >= 2

	Let Q(x) be the product of all primes <= x, and let [z] denote
	the greatest integer of z.  We have:

		Q(n) = P(  n  /2)     * Q(  n  /2), for n even
		     = P((n+1)/2)     * Q((n+1)/2), for n odd
		Q(n) = P([(n+1)/2]) * Q([(n+1)/2]), for any integer n
		Q(2) = 2

	Now, (ii) is clearly true for x <= 2, since Q(2) = 2 < 4^2.

	Assume Q(m) < 4^m for all m < n, and n > 2 (so that [(n+1)/2] < n),
	and by induction we have:

		Q(n) = P([(n+1)/2]) * Q([(n+1)/2])

		        [(n+1)/2]-1     [(n+1)/2]
		     < 4            * 4			(using result from (i))
		        n-1                 n
		     = 4   , for n even; = 4 , for n odd.

	              n
	Thus, Q(n) < 4 , for all integer n >= 2.

	Finally, for real x >= 2,
		                 [x]     x
		Q(x) = Q([x]) < 4    <= 4
804.4I looked, but not recentlyZFC::DERAMOCan I take your personal name?Mon Jan 18 1988 22:5234
    i)         (2n - 1)    n-1
        P(n) < (      ) < 4    for n >= 2
               (   n  )
    
        [That is 2n-1 "choose" n.  Actually, I think for n = 2
         this says 3 < 3 < 4; perhaps for n > 2 was intended. --
         Dan]
    
    ----------------------------------------------------------------
    
    I haven't peeked at the answers for a long time, honest!  But I
    do remember how the first step was done.
    
    P(n) is the product of all primes p such that n < p < 2n.
    2n-1 "choose" n is the product of all numbers m, whether prime or
    not, such that n < m < 2n, divided by (n-1)!.  Now, the division
    by (n-1)! can't divide out any of the primes between n and 2n,
    so 2n-1 "choose" n must equal P(n) times (the product of the
    non-prime m such that n < m < 2n, divided by (n-1)!), where the
    second term is a positive integer and so is >= 1.  So
    P(n) <= 2n-1 "choose" n.  If you are supposed to show that this
    is "<" instead of "<=" for n > 2, then I guess a little more
    work is needed.
    
    2n-1 "choose" n is just one term in the binomial expansion of
    (1 + 1)^(2n-1).  Another term in the expansion, 2n-1 "choose" n-1,
    is equal to it.  So 2 * (2n-1 "choose" n) < (1 + 1)^(2n-1) =
    2^(2n-1) so 2n-1 "choose" n < 2^(2n-2) = 4^(n-1), for n >= 2.
    The first "<" is that instead of "<=" because for n >= 2 there are
    at least three non-zero terms in the binomial expansion, and the
    sum only considered two of them.
    
    Dan