This volume presents research and expository papers highlighting the vibrant and fascinating study of irregularities in the distribution of primes. Written by an international group of experts, contributions present a self-contained yet unified exploration of a rapidly progressing area. Emphasis is given to the research inspired by Maier’s matrix method, which established a newfound understanding of the distribution of primes. Additionally, the book provides an historical overview of a large body of research in analytic number theory and approximation theory. The papers published within are intended as reference tools for graduate students and researchers in mathematics.

Prime numbers have fascinated mathematicians since the time of Euclid. This book presents some of our best tools to capture the properties of these fundamental objects, beginning with the most basic notions of asymptotic estimates and arriving at the forefront of mathematical research. Detailed proofs of the recent spectacular advances on small and large gaps between primes are made accessible for the first time in textbook form. Some other highlights include an introduction to probabilistic methods, a detailed study of sieves, and elements of the theory of pretentious multiplicative functions leading to a proof of Linnik's theorem. Throughout, the emphasis has been placed on explaining the main ideas rather than the most general results available. As a result, several methods are presented in terms of concrete examples that simplify technical details, and theorems are stated in a form that facilitates the understanding of their proof at the cost of sacrificing some generality. Each chapter concludes with numerous exercises of various levels of difficulty aimed to exemplify the material, as well as to expose the readers to more advanced topics and point them to further reading sources.

Originally published in 1934, this volume presents the theory of the distribution of the prime numbers in the series of natural numbers. Despite being long out of print, it remains unsurpassed as an introduction to the field.

Prime numbers have fascinated mathematicians since the time of Euclid. This book presents some of our best tools to capture the properties of these fundamental objects, beginning with the most basic notions of asymptotic estimates and arriving at the forefront of mathematical research. Detailed proofs of the recent spectacular advances on small and large gaps between primes are made accessible for the first time in textbook form. Some other highlights include an introduction to probabilistic methods, a detailed study of sieves, and elements of the theory of pretentious multiplicative functions leading to a proof of Linnik's theorem. Throughout, the emphasis has been placed on explaining the main ideas rather than the most general results available. As a result, several methods are presented in terms of concrete examples that simplify technical details, and theorems are stated in a form that facilitates the understanding of their proof at the cost of sacrificing some generality. Each chapter concludes with numerous exercises of various levels of difficulty aimed to exemplify the material, as well as to expose the readers to more advanced topics and point them to further reading sources.

Mathematics is kept alive by the appearance of new, unsolved problems. This book provides a steady supply of easily understood, if not easily solved, problems that can be considered in varying depths by mathematicians at all levels of mathematical maturity. This new edition features lists of references to OEIS, Neal Sloane’s Online Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences, at the end of several of the sections.

This set of lectures provides a structured introduction to the concept of equidistribution in number theory. This concept is of growing importance in many areas, including cryptography, zeros of L-functions, Heegner points, prime number theory, the theory of quadratic forms, and the arithmetic aspects of quantum chaos. The volume brings together leading researchers from a range of fields who reveal fascinating links between seemingly disparate areas.

The investigation of three problems, perfect numbers, periodic decimals, and Pythagorean numbers, has given rise to much of elementary number theory. In this book, Daniel Shanks, past editor of Mathematics of Computation, shows how each result leads to further results and conjectures. The outcome is a most exciting and unusual treatment. This edition contains a new chapter presenting research done between 1962 and 1978, emphasizing results that were achieved with the help of computers.