In this paper we present a method for producing asymptotic estimates for the number of integers in a given S having only ``small'' prime factors. The conditions that need to be verified are simpler than those required by other methods, and we apply our result to give an easy proof of a result which says that dense subsets A and B of {1,2,...,x} always produce asymptotically the expected number of x^r - smooth sums a+b, where a in A and b in B. Recall that a number n is said to be y-smooth if all its prime divisors are at most y.
For $x>0$ let $π(x)$ denote the number of primes not exceeding $x$. For integers $a$ and $m>0$, we determine when there is an integer $n>1$ with $π(n)=(n+a)/m$. In particular, we show that for any integers $m>2$ and $a\le\lceil e^{m-1}/(m-1)\rceil$ there is an integer $n>1$ with $π(n)=(n+a)/m$. Consequently, for any integer $m>4$ there is a positive integer $n$ with $π(mn)=m+n$. We also pose several conjectures for further research; for example, we conjecture that for each $m=1,2,3,\ldots$ there is a positive integer $n$ such that $m+n$ divides $p_m+p_n$, where $p_k$ denotes the $k$-th prime.
Let $k$ be a number field. For $\mathcal{H}\rightarrow \infty$, we give an asymptotic formula for the number of algebraic integers of absolute Weil height bounded by $\mathcal{H}$ and fixed degree over $k$.
We fix a gap in our proof of an upper bound for the number of positive integers $n\le x$ for which the Euler function $φ(n)$ has all prime factors at most $y$. While doing this we obtain a stronger, likely best-possible result.
Let $K$ be a number field and $G$ a finite abelian group. We study the asymptotic behaviour of the number of tamely ramified $G$-extensions of $K$ with ring of integers of fixed realisable class as a Galois module.
Let $F \in \mathbf{Z}[\boldsymbol{x}]$ be a diagonal, non-singular quadratic form in $4$ variables. Let $λ(n)$ be the normalised Fourier coefficients of a holomorphic Hecke form of full level. We give an upper bound for the problem of counting integer zeros of $F$ with $|\boldsymbol{x}| \leq X$, weighted by $λ(x_1)$.
We count various classes of algebraic integers of fixed degree by their largest absolute value. The classes of integers considered include all algebraic integers, Perron numbers, totally real integers, and totally complex integers. We give qualitative and quantitative results concerning the distribution of Perron numbers, answering in part a question of W. Thurston.
A polynomial over a ring is called decomposable if it is a composition of two nonlinear polynomials. In this paper, we obtain sharp lower and upper bounds for the number of decomposable polynomials with integer coefficients of fixed degree and bounded height. Moreover, we obtain asymptotic formulas for the number of decomposable monic polynomials of even degree. For example, the number of monic sextic integer polynomials which are decomposable and of height at most $H$ is asymptotic to $(16ζ(3)-5/4)H^3$ as $H \to \infty$.
Counting functions are constructed for sums of integers raised to a fixed positive rational power. That is, given values formed by $u_1^{j/k} + u_2^{j/k} + ... + u_l^{j/k}$, $u_i \in \mathbb{Z}^+$, the number of values less than or equal to a given $w>0$ is determined. The counting functions developed are framed in terms of convolution exponentials, and are closely related to the Riemann zeta function. At the conclusion, several estimates are derived, with special emphasis on the case of sums of square roots, i.e. $j=1$, $k=2$.
Masser and Vaaler have given an asymptotic formula for the number of algebraic numbers of given degree $d$ and increasing height. This problem was solved by counting lattice points (which correspond to minimal polynomials over $\mathbb{Z}$) in a homogeneously expanding star body in $\mathbb{R}^{d+1}$. The volume of this star body was computed by Chern and Vaaler, who also computed the volume of the codimension-one "slice" corresponding to monic polynomials -- this led to results of Barroero on counting algebraic integers. We show how to estimate the volume of higher-codimension slices, which a…
Let $r\ge k\ge 2$ be fixed positive integers. Let $\varrho_{r,k}$ denote the characteristic function of the set of $r$-tuples of positive integers with $k$-wise relatively prime components, that is any $k$ of them are relatively prime. We use the convolution method to establish an asymptotic formula for the sum $\sum_{n_1,\ldots,n_r\le x} \varrho_{r,k}(n_1,\ldots,n_r)$ by elementary arguments. Our result improves the error term obtained by J. Hu (2013).
In this paper, we concentrate on counting and testing dominant polynomials with integer coefficients. A polynomial is called dominant if it has a simple root whose modulus is strictly greater than the moduli of its remaining roots. In particular, our results imply that the probability that the dominant root assumption holds for a random monic polynomial with integer coefficients tends to 1 in some setting. However, for arbitrary integer polynomials it does not tend to 1. For instance, the proportion of dominant quadratic integer polynomials of height $H$ among all quadratic integer polynomials…
A partition $α$ is said to contain another partition (or pattern) $μ$ if the Ferrers board for $μ$ is attainable from $α$ under removal of rows and columns. We say $α$ avoids $μ$ if it does not contain $μ$. In this paper we count the number of partitions of $n$ avoiding a fixed pattern $μ$, in terms of generating functions and their asymptotic growth rates. We find that the generating function for this count is rational whenever $μ$ is (rook equivalent to) a partition in which any two part sizes differ by at least two. In doing so, we find a surprising connection to metacyclic $p$-groups. We f…
We find upper and lower bounds on the number of rational points that are $ψ$-approximations of some $n$-dimensional $p$-adic integer. Lattice point counting techniques are used to find the upper bound result, and a Pigeon-hole principle style argument is used to find the lower bound result. We use these results to find the Hausdorff dimension for the set of $p$-adic weighted simultaneously approximable points intersected with $p$-adic coordinate hyperplanes. For the lower bound result we show that the set of rational points that $τ$-approximate a $p$-adic integer form a set of resonant points …
Let $d_S$ denote the arithmetic density of a subset $S \subseteq \mathbb N$. We derive a power series in $q\in \mathbb C$, $|q|<1$, with coëfficients related to integer partitions and integer compositions, that yields $1/d_S$ in the limit as $q\to 1$ radially.
We give a bijection between the set of self-conjugate partitions and that of ordinary partitions. Also, we show the relation between hook lengths of self conjugate partition and corresponding partition via the bijection. As a corollary, we give new combinatorial interpretations for the Catalan number and the Motzkin number in terms of self-conjugate simultaneous core partitions.
Given a polynomial $f(x_1,x_2,\ldots, x_t)$ in $t$ variables with integer coefficients and a positive integer $n$, let $α(n)$ be the number of integers $0\leq a<n$ such that the polynomial congruence $f(x_1, x_2, \ldots, x_t)\equiv a\ (mod\ n)$ is solvable. We describe a method that allows to determine the function $α$ associated to polynomials of the form $c_1x_1^k+c_2x_2^k+\cdots+c_tx_t^k$. Then we apply this method to polynomials that involve sums and differences of squares, mainly to the polynomials $x^2+y^2, x^2-y^2$ and $x^2+y^2+z^2$.
In the RSA cryptosystem integers of the form n=p.q with p and q primes of comparable size (`RSA-integers') play an important role. It is a folklore result of cryptographers that C_r(x), the number of integers n<=x that are of the form n=pq with p and q primes such that p<q<rp, is for fixed r>1 asymptotically equal to c_r*x*log^{-2}x for some constant c_r>0. Here we prove this and show that c_r=2log r.
We examine two counting problems that seem very group-theoretic on the surface but, on closer examination, turn out to concern integers with restrictions on their prime factors. First, given an odd prime $q$ and a finite abelian $q$-group $H$, we consider the set of integers $n\le x$ such that the Sylow $q$-subgroup of the multiplicative group $(\mathbb Z/n\mathbb Z)^\times$ is isomorphic to $H$. We show that the counting function of this set of integers is asymptotic to $K x(\log\log x)^\ell/(\log x)^{1/(q-1)}$ for explicit constants $K$ and $\ell$ depending on $q$ and $H$. Second, we conside…
Recently there has been significant progress in classifying integer friezes and $\text{SL}_2$-tilings. Typically, combinatorial methods are employed, involving triangulations of regions and inventive counting techniques. Here we develop a unified approach to such classifications using the tessellation of the hyperbolic plane by ideal triangles induced by the Farey graph. We demonstrate that the geometric, numeric and combinatorial properties of the Farey graph are perfectly suited to classifying tame $\text{SL}_2$-tilings, positive integer $\text{SL}_2$-tilings, and tame integer friezes -- bot…
In this paper we investigate enumeration of some classes of $n$-character strings and binary necklaces. Recall that binary necklaces are necklaces in two colors with length $n$. We prove three results (Theorems 1, 1' and 2) concerning the numbers of three classes of $j$-character strings (closely related to some classes of binary necklaces or Lyndon words). Using these results, we deduce Moreau's necklace-counting function for binary aperiodic necklaces of length $k$ \cite{mo} (Theorem 3), and we prove the binary case of MacMahon's formula from 1892 \cite{ma} (also called Witt's formula) for t…
The p-adic valuations of a sequence of integers T(n) counting alternating sign matrices is examined for p=2 and p=3. Symmetry properties of their graphs produce a new proof of the result that characterizes the indices for which T(n) is odd.
A sharp bound is obtained for the number of ways to express the monomial $X^n$ as a product of linear factors over $\mathbb{Z}/p^α\mathbb{Z}$. The proof relies on an induction-on-scale procedure which is used to estimate the number of solutions to a certain system of polynomial congruences. The method also applies to more general systems of polynomial congruences that satisfy a non-degeneracy hypothesis.
An integer $n$ is $(y,z)$-semismooth if $n=pm$ where $m$ is an integer with all prime divisors $\le y$ and $p$ is 1 or a prime $\le z$. arge quantities of semismooth integers are utilized in modern integer factoring algorithms, such as the number field sieve, that incorporate the so-called large prime variant. Thus, it is useful for factoring practitioners to be able to estimate the value of $Ψ(x,y,z)$, the number of $(y,z)$-semismooth integers up to $x$, so that they can better set algorithm parameters and minimize running times, which could be weeks or months on a cluster supercomputer. In t…
The treatment of the number-theoretical problem of integer partitions within the approach of statistical mechanics is discussed. Historical overview is given and known asymptotic results for linear and plane partitions are reproduced. From numerical analysis of restricted plane partitions an asymptotic formula is conjectured for an intermediate number of parts.
For an odd positive integer $n\ge 5$, assuming the truth of the $abc$ conjecture, we show that for a positive proportion of pairs $(a,b)$ of integers the trinomials of the form $t^n+at+b (a,b\in \mathbb Z)$ are irreducible and their discriminants are squarefree.
An existing dialogue between number theory and dynamical systems is advanced. A combinatorial device gives necessary and sufficient conditions for a sequence of non-negative integers to count the periodic points in a dynamical system. This is applied to study linear recurrence sequences which count periodic points. Instances where the $p$-parts of an integer sequence themselves count periodic points are studied. The Mersenne sequence provides one example, and the denominators of the Bernoulli numbers provide another. The methods give a dynamical interpretation of many classical congruences suc…
Motivated by the study of integer partitions, we consider partitions of integers into fractions of a particular form, namely with constant denominators and distinct odd or even numerators. When numerators are odd, the numbers of partitions for integers smaller than the denominator form symmetric patterns. If the number of terms is restricted to $h$, then the nonzero terms of the generating function are unimodal, with the integer $h$ having the most partitions. Such properties can be applied to a particular class of nonlinear Diophantine equations. We also examine partitions with even numerator…
We study the functorial and growth properties of closed orbits for maps. By viewing an arbitrary sequence as the orbit-counting function for a map, iterates and Cartesian products of maps define new transformations between integer sequences. An orbit monoid is associated to any integer sequence, giving a dynamical interpretation of the Euler transform.
Given a primitive collection of vectors in the integer lattice, we count the number of ways it can be extended to a basis by vectors with sup-norm bounded by $T$, producing an asymptotic estimate as $T \to \infty$. This problem can be interpreted in terms of unimodular matrices, as well as a representation problem for a class of multilinear forms. In the $2$-dimensional case, this problem is also connected to the distribution of Farey fractions. As an auxiliary lemma we prove a counting estimate for the number of integer lattice points of bounded sup-norm in a hyperplane in~$\mathbb R^n$. Our …
We construct a Beurling generalized number system satisfying the Riemann hypothesis and whose integer counting function displays extremal oscillation in the following sense. The prime counting function of this number system satisfies $π(x)= \operatorname*{Li} (x)+ O(\sqrt{x})$, while its integer counting function satisfies the oscillation estimate $N(x) = ρx + Ω_{\pm}\bigl(x\exp(-c\sqrt{\log x\log\log x})\bigr)$ for some $c>0$, where $ρ>0$ is its asymptotic density. The construction is inspired by a classical example of H. Bohr for optimality of the convexity bound for Dirichlet series, and co…
The goal of this note is to present a combinatorial mechanism for counting certain objects associated to a variety X defined over a finite field. The basic example is that of counting conjugacy classes in GL_n(F_q), where X is the multiplicative group.
Let $P$ be a polynomial with integer coefficients and degree at least two. We prove an upper bound on the number of integer solutions $n\leq N$ to $n! = P(x)$ which yields a power saving over the trivial bound. In particular, this applies to a century-old problem of Brocard and Ramanujan. The previous best result was that the number of solutions is $o(N)$. The proof uses techniques of Diophantine and Padé approximation.
For any integer $N \geq 1$, let $\mathfrak{E}_N$ be the set of all Egyptian fractions employing denominators less than or equal to $N$. We give upper and lower bounds for the cardinality of $\mathfrak{E}_N$, proving that $$ \frac{N}{\log N} \prod_{j = 3}^{k} \log_j N<\log(\#\mathfrak{E}_N) < 0.421\, N, $$ for any fixed integer $k\geq 3$ and every sufficiently large $N$, where $\log_j x$ denotes the $j$-th iterated logarithm of $x$.
In this paper, we give a new upper bound for the number $N_{\mathcal{R}}$ which is defined to be the smallest positive integer such that a certain inequality due to Ramanujan involving the prime counting function $π(x)$ holds for every $x \geq N_{\mathcal{R}}$.
Let $\mathbb{F}_q$ denote the finite field of $q$ elements with characteristic $p$. Let $\mathbb{Z}_q$ denote the unramified extension of the $p$-adic integers $\mathbb{Z}_p$ with residue field $\mathbb{F}_q$. In this paper, we investigate the $q$-divisibility for the number of solutions of a polynomial system in $n$ variables over the finite Witt ring $\mathbb{Z}_q/p^m\mathbb{Z}_q$, where the $n$ variables of the polynomials are restricted to run through a combinatorial box lifting $\mathbb{F}_q^n$. The introduction of the combinatorial box makes the problem much more complicated. We prove a …
Given a recurrent sequence ${\bf U}:=\{U_n\}_{n\ge 0}$ we consider the problem of counting ${\mathcal M}_U(x)$, the number of integers $n\le x$ such that $U_n=u^2+nv^2$ for some integers $u,v$. We will show that ${\mathcal M}_U(x)\ll x(\log x)^{-0.05}$ for a large class of ternary sequences. Our method uses many ingredients from the proof of Alba González and the second author that ${\mathcal M}_F(x)\ll x(\log x)^{-0.06}$, with $\bf F$ the Fibonacci sequence.
Consider an irreducible bilinear form $f(x_1,x_2;y_1,y_2)$ with integer coefficients. We derive an upper bound for the number of integer points $(\mathbf{x},\mathbf{y})\in\mathbb{P}^1\times\mathbb{P}^1$ inside a box satisfying the equation $f=0$. Our bound seems to be the best possible bound and the main term decreases with a larger determinant of the form $f$. We further discuss the case when $f(x_1,x_2;y_1,y_2;z_1,z_2)$ is an irreducible non-singular trilinear form defined on $\mathbb{P}^1\times \mathbb{P}^1\times\mathbb{P}^1$, with integer coefficients. In this case, we examine the singular…
There is a well-known asymptotic formula, due to W. M. Schmidt (1968) for the number of full-rank integer lattices of index at most $V$ in $\mathbb{Z}^n$. This set of lattices $L$ can naturally be partitioned with respect to the factor group $\mathbb{Z}^n/L$. Accordingly, we count the number of full-rank integer lattices $L \subseteq \mathbb{Z}^n$ such that $\mathbb{Z}^n/L$ is cyclic and of order at most $V$, and deduce that these co-cyclic lattices are dominant among all integer lattices: their natural density is $\left(ζ(6) \prod_{k=4}^n ζ(k)\right)^{-1} \approx 85\%$. The problem is motivat…
We give upper bounds on the numbers of various classes of polynomials reducible over the integers and over integers modulo a prime and on the number of matrices in SL(n), GL(n) and Sp(2n) with reducible characteristic polynomials, and on polynomials with non-generic Galois groups. We use our result to show that a random (in the appropriate sense) element of the mapping class group of a closed surface is pseudo-Anosov, and that a random automorphism of a free group is strongly irreducible (aka irreducible with irreducible powers). We also give a necessary condition for all powers of an algebrai…
