The Prime Number Theorem

Art Of The Problem
Nov 2, 2012
8 notes
8 Notes in this Video

Area Under Density Curve Yields Prime Count

IntegrationConcept DensityFunction AreaCalculation CalculusApplication

The total number of primes up to X equals the area under the prime density curve, connecting continuous integration concepts to discrete prime counting.

Graphical Convergence: Yellow and Blue Lines Overlap

VisualProof GraphicalConvergence AsymptoticOverlap MathematicalVisualization

Plotting y = X/ln(X) in blue against actual prime counts in yellow shows the lines diverging at small scales but eventually overlapping as X approaches infinity.

Natural Logarithm as Prime Density Predictor

NaturalLogarithm PrimeDensityFormula AsymptoticApproximation MathematicalConstants

The natural logarithm ln(X) provides a remarkably simple formula for estimating prime density: approximately 1/ln(X), accurately predicting the proportion of primes among integers up to X.

Prime Counting Function: Always Rising Curve

PrimeCountingFunction MathematicalFunctions AsymptoticGrowth NumberTheory

The prime counting function graphs how many primes exist below any given integer X, creating a curve that rises continuously without ever flattening, proving primes never cease.

Prime Density Decreases with Increasing Integers

PrimeDensity NumberTheory DistributionPatterns MathematicalTrends

Among the first 100 integers, 25% are prime; among the first million, only 7.84% are prime, demonstrating that prime density systematically decreases as integers grow larger.

Prime Number Theorem: X over ln(X)

PrimeNumberTheorem AsymptoticFormula PrimeApproximation AnalyticNumberTheory

The Prime Number Theorem states that the number of primes less than X approximates X/ln(X), providing a simple formula eliminating the need for exhaustive prime counting.

Prime Number Theorem Accuracy Improves with Scale

AsymptoticAccuracy ApproximationError LargeNumberBehavior TheoremValidation

The Prime Number Theorem’s approximation accuracy increases as X grows larger, with the ratio between actual prime count and X/ln(X) approaching 1 asymptotically.

Ulam Spiral: Visualizing Prime Distribution

UlamSpiral PrimeVisualization NumberTheory PatternRecognition

Arranging integers in a growing spiral with prime numbers colored blue and composites black reveals striking visual patterns in prime distribution across the number line.