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For odd $j$, expanding $({\sum }_{p\le X}{p}^{-\sigma }\cos (t\log p){)}^j$ gives products with different numbers of prime factors on the two sides. Unique prime factorization rules out every diagonal equality. The integral over $[T,2T]$ is therefore $O_j(X^j({\sum }_{n\le X^j}{n}^{-\sigma }{)}^2)$.

A list of integers $a_1,\dots ,a_r$, with $r\ge 2$, has pairwise coprimality when every two entries in distinct positions are coprime. This implies joint coprimality. For positive integers, it means no prime factor occurs in two different entries. For example, $4,9,25$ satisfy this condition.

For finite sets $A_1,\dots ,A_s$, the inclusion-exclusion principle statesTo prove it, count the contribution of an element lying in exactly $r\ge 1$ of the sets. Its total coefficient isby the binomial theorem. An element in none contributes zero. Summing these elementwise counts proves the formula. Applying the same argument to indicator functions and taking expectations proves the corresponding probability formula.

Factor $4199=13\cdot 17\cdot 19$. An integer is coprime to this product precisely when none of its three prime factors divides it. Inclusion-exclusion applied to the multiples of those prime numbers among $1,\dots ,4199$ gives Euler's totient functionFor the survey, let $H,D,S$ be the three detestation events and use proportions as probabilities. The union $H\cup D$ is the reported total union with the only-$S$ group removed, so $\mathbb{P}(H\cup D)=0.90-0.27=0.63$. The two-set inclusion-exclusion principle gives $\mathbb{P}(H\cap D)=0.45+0.28-0.63=0.10$. Removing the all-three group leavesThe required proportion is 4%. The separately reported total $S$ proportion is consistent with, but unnecessary for, this calculation.

The Selberg upper-bound sieve replaces the indicator function of a sifted set by the square of a divisor sum. If the real Selberg sieve weights satisfy ${\lambda }_1=1$, thenWhen $F(n)$ has no forbidden prime factors, the divisor sum is exactly one; otherwise its square is still nonnegative. Taking the weights to vanish for $d>z$ controls the error in summing this majorant. The main term is a positive quadratic form that can be diagonalized and minimized explicitly. This optimization, together with a bound for the remainder, is the central idea of the Selberg sieve.

For twin primes, take $F(n)=n(n+2)$ and let $\rho (d)$ be the number of its roots modulo a squarefree integer $d$. The Chinese remainder theorem makes $\rho$ a multiplicative arithmetic function, with $\rho (2)=1$ and $\rho (p)=2$ for odd primes. Thus the polynomial root density in a sieve is $g(d)=\rho (d)/d$, andSumming the majorant giveswhere $Q(\lambda )={\sum }_{d,e\le z}{\lambda }_d{\lambda }_{e}g([d,e])$, with all indices squarefree. Here $\rho ([d,e])\le \rho (d)\rho (e)$ controls the error.

We carry out the Selberg sieve diagonalization. PutFor squarefree integers $d,e$, multiplicativity givesThe identity behind the first equality is ${\prod }_{p\mid (d,e)}[1+h(p)]=1/g((d,e))$. Möbius inversion gives ${\lambda }_1={\sum }_r\mu (r)y_r=1$. The Cauchy-Schwarz inequality therefore impliesDefine $G(z)={\sum }_{r\le z,r\text{ squarefree}}1/h(r)$. Equality is attained at $y_r=\mu (r)/(h(r)G(z))$, giving $\min Q=1/G(z)$. Inverting again, the optimizing Selberg sieve weights areIn particular ${\lambda }_1=1$. Since $G_d(z/d)\le G(z)$,The last inequality holds separately at $p=2$, $p=3$, and $p\ge 5$. Together with $\rho (d)\le d$, this crude bound already makes the remainder $O(z^6)$, because ${\sum }_{d\le z}{d}^2=O(z^3)$.

We also need a lower bound for $G(z)$; we prove it rather than presuppose a sieve asymptotic. For odd squarefree integers $r$,where $\omega (r)$ counts distinct prime factors. Put $y=\sqrt{z}$ and $L(y)={\sum }_{a\le y,a\text{ odd}}1/a=\frac{1}{2}\log y+O(1)$. The total weight $1/(ab)$ of odd pairs $a,b\le y$ is $L(y{)}^2$. Exclude pairs for which $a$ has a square prime factor, $b$ has a square prime factor, or $a,b$ have a common prime factor. For each of these three categories the total weight is at most $L(y{)}^2{\sum }_{p\text{ odd}}{p}^{-2}$: for example, the weighted count of odd multiples of $p^2$ is $p^{-2}L(y/p^2)\le p^{-2}L(y)$, and the common-factor category uses $p^{-1}L(y/p)$ for each variable. Moreover,Hence the remaining odd coprime squarefree pairs have weight at least $L(y{)}^2/6$. Their products $r=ab\le z$ are squarefree, and $2^{\omega (r)}$ counts all ordered coprime factorizations of $r$. This proves the elementary lower bound for the twin-prime sieve denominator:

If $p>z$ and both $p,p+2$ are primes, $F(p)$ survives the sieve. The at most $z$ smaller values are the only exceptions. Thus, with $T(x)=\#\{p\le x:p,p+2\text{ prime}\}$ and $z=x^{1/10}$, the twin-prime upper bound from a quadratic sieve becomesFinally partial summation givesThe integral over $[3,\infty )$ is bounded by a constant times ${\int }_3^{\infty }dt/(t(\log t{)}^2)<\infty$. The nonnegative partial sums are therefore bounded and increasing. Thus the reciprocal series over the smaller members of twin-prime pairs converges, a form of Brun's theorem. The upper bound does not assert that infinitely many twin primes exist.

For a prime number $p$ and an integer $x$ coprime to $p$, multiplication by $x$ permutes the nonzero residue classes modulo $p$. Indeed, $ax\equiv bx(\mathrm{mod}p)$ implies $a\equiv b(\mathrm{mod}p)$, and none of the products is zero. Taking the product over the $p-1$ classes givesThe factorial is coprime to $p$ and can be cancelled, proving Fermat little theorem: $\boxed{x^{p-1}\equiv 1(\mathrm{mod}p)}$.

Now $n=mp$ and $x$ is coprime to $n$, so it is coprime to $p$. Since $(n-1)-(m-1)=m(p-1)$, the proved theorem givesThus the two specified integer congruences modulo $p$ are equivalent. In this particular step the additional hypothesis $(m,p)=1$ is not needed; it will hold for the squarefree factorization used next.

If $n$ is a squarefree integer, its distinct prime factors are pairwise coprime. Consequently $n$ divides $x^{n-1}-1$ exactly when every prime factor does. Applying the preceding equivalence with $m=n/p$ provesFinally retain this squarefree hypothesis. If $p-1$ divides $n-1$, write $n-1=k_p(p-1)$. Fermat little theorem gives $x^{n-1}=(x^{p-1}{)}^{k_p}\equiv 1(\mathrm{mod}p)$ for every prime factor. Their pairwise coprimality then gives $\boxed{x^{n-1}\equiv 1(\mathrm{mod}n)}$. For composite $n$ this is the sufficient direction of the Korselt criterion for a Carmichael number; primality is not excluded by the requested implication.

For each $x\in X$, the product ${\prod }_{i=1}^m(1-g_i(x))$ is $1$ precisely outside every $X_i$, and is $0$ otherwise. It is therefore the indicator function of $Y$. Expanding the finite product givesMultiply by $f(x)$ and sum over the finite set $X$. The product of indicator functions is the indicator function of the corresponding intersection, soHere the empty intersection is $X$, and the empty product is $1$. Grouping the subsets $S$ by their cardinality gives the requested weighted inclusion-exclusion principle, with no contribution for $r>m$.

Let $\mathcal{P}$ be the finite set of distinct prime factors of $n$, and work in $\{0,\dots ,n-1\}$. For $S\subseteq \mathcal{P}$ put $d_S={\prod }_{p\in S}p$, including $d_{\varnothing }=1$. Then $d_S\mid n$, and an integer belongs to every $X_p$ for $p\in S$ exactly when it is a multiple of $d_S$. Thus the intersection has size $n/d_S$. The complement consists precisely of the residues coprime to $n$. Using weight $1$ givesThis proves the product formula for the Euler totient function without requiring $n$ to be squarefree.

For the weight $f(x)=x$, the sum over the multiples of any divisor $d$ in this interval isThe weighted inclusion-exclusion principle therefore givesSince $n>1$, $\mathcal{P}$ is nonempty and the last sum is $(1-1{)}^{|\mathcal{P}|}=0$. The first factors as before, givingThis sum of reduced residues also follows by pairing the bijection $x\mapsto n-x$; at $n=2$ its sole fixed residue causes no problem because the sum of both copies still equals $n\phi (n)$.

A suitable large sieve statement is the following. If ${\alpha }_j$ are separated modulo one by at least $0<\delta \le 1$ and $a_n$ is supported on $N$ consecutive integers, thenThe sharper classical constant $N-1+{\delta }^{-1}$ also suffices, but is unnecessary for the requested bound. This is the exponential-sum large sieve.

Put $M=|A|$, $S(\alpha )={\sum }_{n\in A}e(n\alpha )$, and $A_p(r)=\#\{n\in A:n\equiv r(\mathrm{mod}p)\}$. By the orthogonality of roots of unity,At most $p-k(p)$ of these residue counts are nonzero. The Cauchy-Schwarz inequality gives $M^2\le (p-k(p)){\sum }_r{A}_p(r{)}^2$, and the frequency $h=0$ contributes exactly $M^2$. Thus, if $k(p)<p$,If $k(p)=p$ for some prime, $A$ is empty and the result is immediate.

All fractions $h/p$, $1\le h<p$, $p\le X$, are distinct reduced fractions. Their circular spacing is at least $X^{-2}$, because two distinct fractions of these denominators differ modulo one by at least $1/(p{p}^{\prime })$. Apply the large sieve with $a_n=1_A(n)$ and $\delta =X^{-2}$, and sum the preceding lower bounds:For $M>0$ and a positive sieve denominator, division provesWhen the denominator is zero this asserts no restriction; that degenerate case is interpreted as a vacuous bound.

For the least-nonresidue application, first establish the positive density of power-smooth integers. Fix $\eta =1/k$, with an integer $k\ge 2$, and let $H$ tend to infinity. Choose ordered primes, with repetitions allowed, in the intervalTheir product $d$ satisfies $H^{1-\eta }\le d\le H$. Every number $md\le H$ has $m\le H^{\eta }$, so is $H^{\eta }$-smooth. By partial summation of the Prime number theorem, or the Mertens theorem for reciprocal primes,The number of ordered representations $(m,{\ell }_1,\dots ,{\ell }_k)$ is at leastbecause $\lfloor H/d\rfloor \ge H/(2d)$ for $1\le d\le H$.

This representation count must not be confused with a count of distinct integers. A number at most $H$ has at most $\lfloor 1/(\eta -{\eta }^2)\rfloor$ prime factors in that interval, counted with multiplicity. There are therefore only a bounded number, depending on $\eta$, of ordered $k$-tuples which can occur as divisors of it; the cofactor is then fixed. Dividing by this bounded multiplicity provesfor a fixed ${\kappa }_{\eta }>0$ and all sufficiently large $H$.

Now work on a dyadic prime interval $Q<p\le 2Q$ and let ${\mathcal{E}}_Q$ be the primes there with $n(p)>p^{0.01}$. Take $H=Q^2$ and $\eta =1/200$, so $H^{\eta }=Q^{0.01}$. Let $A$ be the $Q^{0.01}$-smooth integers at most $Q^2$. The density lemma gives $|A|\ge \kappa Q^2$ for an absolute $\kappa >0$.

For each $p\in {\mathcal{E}}_Q$, every prime factor of a member of $A$ is at most $Q^{0.01}\le p^{0.01}<n(p)$ and is smaller than $p$. Hence it is a nonzero quadratic residue modulo $p$. Multiplicativity of the Legendre symbol makes every member of $A$ a nonzero quadratic residue modulo $p$. It therefore avoids all $(p-1)/2$ quadratic-nonresidue classes. In the sieve inequality set $k(p)=(p-1)/2$ at exceptional primes and zero at every other prime up to $X=2Q$. For odd $p$, $k(p)/p\ge 1/3$, soThus each dyadic interval has at most $36/\kappa$ exceptional primes. The finitely many small intervals can be absorbed into this absolute bound. Summing the $O(\log N)$ intervals up to $N$ proves the large-sieve logarithmic exceptional-prime bound for least quadratic nonresidues:The least nonresidue is normally defined for odd primes; any convention at the prime two changes the count by at most one.

Let $T(N)$ count pairs $n,n+2$ both prime with $n+2\le N$. The Selberg sieve replaces primality by the necessary condition that the polynomial $F(n)=n(n+2)$ have no small prime divisor. Its strength is a nonnegative quadratic majorant with optimizable divisor weights; its limitation is that a sifted integer need not be prime.

For a prime $p$, let $\nu (p)$ count the forbidden residues of $n$ modulo $p$. We have $\nu (2)=1$, since the two roots coincide modulo two, and $\nu (p)=2$ for every odd prime, where the roots are zero and $-2$. The Chinese remainder theorem makes $\nu (d)$ multiplicative on squarefree integers. With $g(d)=\nu (d)/d$,These local densities constitute the sieve distribution for the twin-prime problem. Since ${\sum }_{p\le z}g(p)=2\log \log z+O(1)$, it is a dimension-two sieve, which is why the expected upper bound has two logarithms in the denominator.

Let $P(R)={\prod }_{p\le R}p$ and choose real Selberg sieve weights ${\lambda }_d$ supported on squarefree $d\le R$, with ${\lambda }_1=1$. If $\gcd (F(n),P(R))=1$, the only supported divisor of $F(n)$ is one. HenceExpanding and using the distribution of the polynomial roots givesHere $[d,e]$ denotes the least common multiple. The divisor-square support reaches $R^2$, although each individual weight is supported only to $R$; keeping these two levels distinct is essential for estimating the remainder.

The Selberg sieve diagonalization solves the main-term minimization exactly. On squarefree integers putMultiplicativity givesAlso, Möbius inversion gives ${\sum }_{r\le R}\mu (r)Y_r={\lambda }_1=1$. Therefore the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality proveswith equality at $Y_r=\mu (r)w(r)/G(R)$. Inverting the divisor sums gives the optimizing weightsIn particular ${\lambda }_1=1$ and $Q(\lambda )=1/G(R)$.

These weights have $|{\lambda }_d|\le 1$, which supplies a simple rigorous remainder estimate. Indeed, multiply the inner sum by ${\prod }_{p\mid d}(1-g(p){)}^{-1}={\sum }_{e\mid d}w(e)$. The terms are $w(em)$ for distinct squarefree integers $em\le R$ with $e\mid d$ and $(m,d)=1$, hence form a subset of the sum defining $G(R)$. Since $\nu ([d,e])\le \nu (d)\nu (e)$ and $\nu (d)\le \tau (d)$,Thus

For this sieve $w(2)=1$ and $w(p)=2/(p-2)$ for odd primes. Here is a direct proof that $G(R)\asymp {\log }^{2}R$, sufficient for the upper bound. PutThe Mertens theorem for reciprocal primes implies $W(z)\asymp {\log }^{2}z$, by taking logarithms and using the convergence of ${\sum }_{p}g(p{)}^2$. Give each divisor $d\mid P(z)$ probability $w(d)/W(z)$. Its expected logarithm isby the Mertens first theorem. With $z=R^{1/8}$ this is at most $\frac{1}{3}\log R$ for large $R$. The Markov inequality shows that at least two thirds of the total product weight has $d\le R$. These terms occur in $G(R)$, so $G(R)\gg W(R^{1/8})\gg {\log }^{2}R$. Conversely $G(R)\le W(R)\ll {\log }^{2}R$, proving the claim without treating an untruncated Euler product as a truncated divisor sum.

Choose, for example, $R=N^{1/4}$. Any twin-prime pair with smaller member greater than $R$ survives this sieve; pairs with smaller member at most $R$ contribute at most $O(R)$. ConsequentlyThe chosen level is deliberately enough to prove the correct logarithmic order; sharper level and remainder analyses improve the numerical upper-bound constant.

The local correction factor also explains the conjectured main-term constant. Relative to two independent primality conditions, the singular series isThe twin-prime constant $C_2$ is positive and convergent because its logarithm has an absolutely convergent tail. The factor two at $p=2$ records that only one parity is allowed, while each odd-prime factor records the two distinct forbidden residues. The Hardy–Littlewood twin-prime asymptotic conjecture predictsThis is a conjecture, not a consequence of the upper-bound calculation.

The parity problem in sieve theory is the obstruction to reversing the argument. The nonnegative square majorizes all survivors, including composites with sufficiently large prime factors; small-divisor information does not isolate the desired prime-factor parity or force both factors to be prime. Therefore the Selberg sieve establishes the correct upper-bound scale and the arithmetic local factors, but by itself does not prove a positive lower bound for twin primes, their infinitude, or the conjectured asymptotic.

A prime number is an integer $p>1$ whose only positive divisors are $1$ and $p$. Every integer greater than one has a prime factorization; in particular it has a prime divisor.

To prove infinitely many primes congruent to minus one modulo six, suppose a finite list $p_1,\dots ,p_n$ contains all such primes, and put $P=p_1\cdots p_n$; the empty product is one. The integer $N=6P-1>1$ is coprime to $6$, so each prime factor is congruent to $1$ or $-1$ modulo $6$. If all its prime factors, counted with multiplicity, were congruent to $1$, their product would also be congruent to $1$. But $N\equiv -1(\mathrm{mod}6)$. Hence some prime divisor $q$ satisfies $q\equiv -1(\mathrm{mod}6)$. None of the listed primes divides $N$, since $N\equiv -1(\mathrm{mod}{p}_i)$. This contradicts completeness of the list.

For infinitely many primes congruent to one modulo six, suppose instead that $p_1,\dots ,p_n$ lists every prime congruent to $1$ modulo $6$, and useIt is odd. Since each listed prime is coprime to $3$, $P^2\equiv 1(\mathrm{mod}3)$, so $N\equiv 1(\mathrm{mod}3)$ and $3$ does not divide it. Any prime divisor $q$ is therefore greater than $3$ and satisfies the modular congruenceThe allowed quadratic-congruence result gives $q\equiv 1(\mathrm{mod}6)$. Yet $N\equiv 3(\mathrm{mod}{p}_i)$, and $p_i>3$, so no listed prime divides $N$. Again there is a new prime in the required residue class. Thus both residue classes $6k-1$ and $6k+1$ contain infinitely many primes.

Fermat's little theorem states that, for a prime number $p$ and any integer $a$,If $p\mid a$, both sides vanish modulo $p$. Otherwise multiplication by $a$ permutes the nonzero residue classes modulo $p$: it is injective because $ai\equiv aj$ implies $i\equiv j$ by cancellation. Taking the products of these residues givesThe factorial is coprime to $p$, so cancellation proves $a^{p-1}\equiv 1(\mathrm{mod}p)$ and hence the stated version. This proves Fermat's little theorem in both cases.

Let $n$ be a Carmichael number. If a prime square $p^2$ divided $n$, choose $a=p$. Since $n$ is an odd composite integer, $n>1$, and $p^n-p\equiv -p\not\equiv 0(\mathrm{mod}{p}^2)$. This contradicts the required modular congruence modulo $n$. Therefore every Carmichael number is squarefree.

For each prime divisor $p$ of $n$, choose the allowed primitive root $g$ modulo $p$. The Carmichael identity applied to the positive integer $g$ gives $g^n\equiv g(\mathrm{mod}p)$, and cancellation gives $g^{n-1}\equiv 1(\mathrm{mod}p)$. By its defining order property,Conversely, suppose a composite integer $n$ is squarefree and has this divisibility for every prime divisor. For an arbitrary integer $a$, modulo a prime divisor $p$ there are two cases. If $p\mid a$, then $a^n\equiv a\equiv 0$. Otherwise Fermat's little theorem and $p-1\mid n-1$ give $a^{n-1}\equiv 1$, so again $a^n\equiv a$. Since the prime divisors are distinct and pairwise coprime, their product $n$ divides $a^n-a$. This is the proof of Korselt criterion:

If $n=pq$ for distinct odd primes with $p<q$, the condition at $q$ would require $q-1\mid pq-1$. Reducing $pq-1$ modulo $q-1$ gives $p-1$, so $q-1\mid p-1$. But $0<p-1<q-1$, which is impossible. Thus a product of two distinct odd primes is not Carmichael.

For $n=pqr$, squarefreeness is automatic. Since $p\equiv 1(\mathrm{mod}p-1)$,Apply the analogous reductions at $q$ and $r$ to obtainFinally $1729=7\cdot 13\cdot 19$, with distinct odd prime factors, andAll three divisibilities hold, so 1729 is a Carmichael number.

The Prime number theorem states that $\pi (x)\sim x/\log x$, where $\pi (x)$ counts primes not exceeding $x$. Dirichlet theorem on primes in arithmetic progressions states that if $\gcd (a,m)=1$, then the progression $a+jm$ contains infinitely many primes.

If $x^2\equiv -1(\mathrm{mod}p)$ for an odd prime $p$, the multiplicative order of $x$ modulo $p$ is four. Lagrange's theorem therefore gives $4\mid p-1$. Conversely, Wilson's theorem gives $(p-1)!\equiv -1(\mathrm{mod}p)$. Pairing the factors $j$ and $p-j$ yieldsFor $p\equiv 1(\mathrm{mod}4)$, the sign is positive, so the factorial supplies a square root of $-1$. Thus $-1$ is a quadratic residue exactly when $p\equiv 1(\mathrm{mod}4)$.

Write $P={\prod }_j{p}_j$. The odd integer $4P-1$ is $3$ modulo $4$. If all of its prime factors were $1$ modulo $4$, their product, with multiplicities, would be $1$ modulo $4$, so at least one factor is $3$ modulo $4$. Every prime factor $q$ of $4P^2+1$ is odd and satisfies $(2P{)}^2\equiv -1(\mathrm{mod}q)$; the criterion just proved gives $q\equiv 1(\mathrm{mod}4)$. Neither integer is divisible by any $p_j$, since their residues modulo $p_j$ are respectively $-1$ and $1$. Starting with any finite list thus produces a new prime in each residue class. Both classes contain infinitely many primes, independently of the general Dirichlet theorem on primes in arithmetic progressions.