DunningKruger

For every prime $p$, there exists at least one index $k$ such that $$ \gcd(S_k,S_{k+1})=p. $$

Aug 29th, 2026
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  1. \textbf{Theorem.} For every prime $p$, there exists at least one index $k$ such that
  2. $$
  3. \gcd(S_k,S_{k+1})=p.
  4. $$
  5.  
  6. \textbf{Proof.}
  7.  
  8. Fix a prime $p$.
  9.  
  10. We use the Maynard--Tao theorem in the following form: for sufficiently large $K$, every admissible family of $K$ distinct fixed linear forms contains at least two primes for infinitely many values of the variable.
  11.  
  12. Choose such a $K$, and choose an admissible set
  13. $$
  14. \mathcal H=\{h_1<h_2<\cdots<h_K\}
  15. $$
  16. of nonnegative integers. Put
  17. $$
  18. H:=h_K.
  19. $$
  20.  
  21. For example, if
  22. $$
  23. W:=\prod_{\substack{\ell\le K\\ \ell\ {\rm prime}}}\ell,
  24. $$
  25. we may take
  26. $$
  27. \mathcal H=\{0,W,2W,\ldots,(K-1)W\}.
  28. $$
  29.  
  30. For every integer
  31. $$
  32. t\in\{0,1,\ldots,pH\}
  33. \setminus\{ph_1,\ldots,ph_K\},
  34. $$
  35. choose three distinct primes
  36. $$
  37. \ell_{t,1},\ell_{t,2},\ell_{t,3}>pH,
  38. $$
  39. with no prime reused for two different values of $t$, and put
  40. $$
  41. m_t:=\ell_{t,1}\ell_{t,2}\ell_{t,3}.
  42. $$
  43.  
  44. Thus the $m_t$ are pairwise coprime and
  45. $$
  46. \gcd(p,m_t)=1.
  47. $$
  48.  
  49. For every such $t$, impose the congruence
  50. $$
  51. pa+t\equiv0\pmod{m_t}.
  52. $$
  53. Since the $m_t$ are pairwise coprime, the Chinese Remainder Theorem gives a simultaneous solution
  54. $$
  55. a\pmod M,
  56. \qquad
  57. M:=\prod_t m_t.
  58. $$
  59.  
  60. Define
  61. $$
  62. L_i(n):=Mn+a+h_i,
  63. \qquad 1\le i\le K.
  64. $$
  65.  
  66. We claim that these linear forms are admissible.
  67.  
  68. First suppose that a prime $\ell$ divides $M$. Then $\ell$ divides a unique $m_t$. Since
  69. $$
  70. pa+t\equiv0\pmod\ell,
  71. $$
  72. we have
  73. $$
  74. p(a+h_i)\equiv ph_i-t\pmod\ell.
  75. $$
  76. Because $t\ne ph_i$ and
  77. $$
  78. |ph_i-t|\le pH<\ell,
  79. $$
  80. we obtain
  81. $$
  82. ph_i-t\not\equiv0\pmod\ell.
  83. $$
  84. Hence
  85. $$
  86. a+h_i\not\equiv0\pmod\ell
  87. $$
  88. for every $i$, and therefore
  89. $$
  90. L_i(n)\not\equiv0\pmod\ell
  91. $$
  92. for every $i$ and every $n$.
  93.  
  94. Now suppose that $\ell\nmid M$. Since $M$ is invertible modulo $\ell$, the residue classes of $n$ for which
  95. $$
  96. L_i(n)\equiv0\pmod\ell
  97. $$
  98. are an affine image of the residue classes occupied by
  99. $$
  100. h_1,\ldots,h_K.
  101. $$
  102. Since $\mathcal H$ is admissible, these do not cover all residue classes modulo $\ell$.
  103.  
  104. Thus
  105. $$
  106. \{L_1,\ldots,L_K\}
  107. $$
  108. is an admissible family of distinct linear forms.
  109.  
  110. By the Maynard--Tao theorem, there are infinitely many $n$ for which at least two of
  111. $$
  112. L_1(n),\ldots,L_K(n)
  113. $$
  114. are prime.
  115.  
  116. Fix one such sufficiently large $n$, and write
  117. $$
  118. N:=Mn+a.
  119. $$
  120. Choose two prime-valued forms
  121. $$
  122. q:=N+h_i,
  123. \qquad
  124. q':=N+h_j,
  125. \qquad i<j,
  126. $$
  127. such that no $L_s(n)$ with
  128. $$
  129. i<s<j
  130. $$
  131. is prime.
  132.  
  133. Now consider
  134. $$
  135. pq
  136. \qquad\text{and}\qquad
  137. pq'.
  138. $$
  139. Both are semiprimes.
  140.  
  141. We claim that there is no semiprime strictly between them.
  142.  
  143. Let
  144. $$
  145. pq<x<pq'.
  146. $$
  147. Since $x$ is an integer, write
  148. $$
  149. x=pN+t.
  150. $$
  151. Then
  152. $$
  153. ph_i<t<ph_j.
  154. $$
  155.  
  156. There are two cases.
  157.  
  158. If
  159. $$
  160. t\notin\{ph_1,\ldots,ph_K\},
  161. $$
  162. then $m_t$ was included in the CRT construction. Since $m_t\mid M$ and
  163. $$
  164. pa+t\equiv0\pmod{m_t},
  165. $$
  166. we have
  167. $$
  168. m_t\mid p(Mn+a)+t=x.
  169. $$
  170. But $m_t$ is a product of three distinct primes. Hence
  171. $$
  172. \Omega(x)\ge3,
  173. $$
  174. so $x$ is not a semiprime.
  175.  
  176. If instead
  177. $$
  178. t=ph_s
  179. $$
  180. for some $s$, then necessarily
  181. $$
  182. i<s<j.
  183. $$
  184. Therefore
  185. $$
  186. x=p(N+h_s)=pL_s(n).
  187. $$
  188. By the choice of $i$ and $j$, $L_s(n)$ is composite. Hence
  189. $$
  190. \Omega(L_s(n))\ge2,
  191. $$
  192. and therefore
  193. $$
  194. \Omega(x)\ge3.
  195. $$
  196. Again, $x$ is not a semiprime.
  197.  
  198. Thus there is no semiprime strictly between
  199. $$
  200. pq
  201. \qquad\text{and}\qquad
  202. pq'.
  203. $$
  204. Hence these are consecutive semiprimes. Therefore, for some index $k$,
  205. $$
  206. S_k=pq,
  207. \qquad
  208. S_{k+1}=pq'.
  209. $$
  210.  
  211. Since $q$ and $q'$ are distinct primes,
  212. $$
  213. \gcd(S_k,S_{k+1})
  214. =
  215. \gcd(pq,pq')
  216. =
  217. p.
  218. $$
  219.  
  220. Therefore, for the fixed prime $p$, there exists at least one index $k$ such that
  221. $$
  222. \boxed{\gcd(S_k,S_{k+1})=p.}
  223. $$
  224.  
  225. Since $p$ was arbitrary, the result holds for every prime $p$.
  226. $\boxed{}$
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