Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2025 iii Paper 150 1 b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2025 iii Paper 150 1 c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
LetFor every prime , the congruence excludes the three distinct residue classesThe finitely many smaller primes only alter the implied constant. The dimension-three upper-bound sieve, used with , therefore giveswhere the middle estimate follows from Mertens theorem.
If all three linear forms are prime, then either has no prime divisor at most , or one of the three forms itself equals such a prime. The latter possibility contributes only , which is absorbed by . Hence the required number of is .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2025 iii Paper 150 3 c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Complete multiplicativity and absolute convergence give the Euler productSet . Taking logarithms of absolute values and expanding the local factors gives, uniformly in real ,The prime powers with exponent at least two contribute ; changing to below and estimating the tail above also cost . By Mertens theorem,Exponentiating yields
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 iii Paper 150 1 c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
For each prime number , the congruence removes exactly one residue class of modulo ; for , it removes none. The dimension-one upper-bound sieve therefore givesSeparating the primes that divide bounds the product byThe ratio form of Mertens theorem says that the first product is . Hence