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Research notes on every problem, and a library of the papers behind them. Built from the open erdos repository.

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Claim. Write G(X)G(X) for the largest gap between consecutive primes below XX and log⁡k\log_k for the kk-fold iterated logarithm. R. A. Rankin, The difference between consecutive prime numbers, J. London Math. Soc. 13 (1938), no. 4, 242--247, proves

G(X)≥(c+o(1)) log⁡Xlog⁡2Xlog⁡4X(log⁡3X)2G(X)\ge(c+o(1))\,\frac{\log X\log_2X\log_4X}{(\log_3X)^2}

with c=1/3c=1/3. The value of the constant is as the introductions of Ford, Green, Konyagin and Tao (arXiv:1408.4505, p. 2) and of the 2018 paper of Ford, Green, Konyagin, Maynard and Tao (see its library card) record it. Since log⁡pn∼log⁡n\log p_n\sim\log n, the bound gives, for every CC with 0<C<1/30<C<1/3, infinitely many nn with pn+1−pn>Clog⁡nlog⁡2nlog⁡4n/(log⁡3n)2p_{n+1}-p_n>C\log n\log_2n\log_4n/(\log_3n)^2, the question of Problem 4 answered yes for those CC. Later work raised cc to 12eγ\tfrac12e^\gamma (Schönhage), eγe^\gamma (Rankin), 1.31256eγ1.31256e^\gamma (Maier and Pomerance) and 2eγ2e^\gamma (Pintz), before the 2014 theorems of Ford, Green, Konyagin and Tao and of Maynard made it arbitrary.

Covers. Every CC with 0<C<1/30<C<1/3: for each such CC there are infinitely many nn with the question's inequality.

Depends on. Nothing in this wiki.

Acceptance. Refereed publication: J. London Math. Soc. 13 (1938), no. 4, 242--247, doi:10.1112/jlms/s1-13.4.242. Not reviewed: the site's commentary mentions Rankin's result, but the site's PROVED label credits the solution to Maynard and to Ford, Green, Konyagin and Tao.