A PRIME-REPRESENTING FUNCTION

W. H. MILLS

A function f (x) is said to be a prime-representing function if f (x)

is a prime number for all positive integral values of x. It will be
x
shown that there exists a real number A such that [A8 ] is a prime-
representing function, where [R] denotes the greatest integer less than
or equal to R.
Let pn denote the nth prime number. A. E. Ingham1 has shown
that

(1) pn+1 − pn < Kp5/8

n

where K is a fixed positive integer.

Lemma. If N is an integer greater than K 8 there exists a prime p
such that N 8 < p < (N + 1)3 − 1.
Proof. Let pn be the greatest prime less than N 3 . Then

N 3 < pn+1 < pn + Kp5/8 3

n < N + KN
15/8
< N3 + N2
(2)
< (N + 1)3 − 1

Let P0 be a prime greater than K 8 . Then by lemma we can

construct an infinite sequence of primes, P0 , P1 , P2 , . . . , such that
Pn3 < Pn+1 < (Pn + 1)8 − 1. Let

(3) un = Pn3−n , vn = (Pn + 1)3−n .

Then
3−n−1
(4) vn > un , un+1 = Pn+1 > Pn3−n = un ,

(5) vn+1 = (Pn+1 + 1)3−n−1 < (Pn + 1)3−n = vn .

It follows at once that the un form a bounded monotone increasing

sequence. Let A = limn→∞ un .
n
Theorem. [A3 ] is a prime-representing function.
Proof. From (4) and (5) it follows that un < A < vn , or
n
Pn < A3 < Pn + 1.
n x
Therefore [A3 ] = Pn and [A3 ] is a prime-representing function.