Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 iii Paper 27 1 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Let . Regroup the finite divisor sum using the least common multiple:This is nonnegative. If has no prime factor in , only can contribute to the inner sum, so it equals . This proves the required pointwise upper-bound sieve inequality. Whenever a term defining is nonzero, and their prime factors lie in . Hence , and every prime factor of lies in . Thus these are upper-bound sieve weights of level , as described by the Selberg least-common-multiple weights.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 iii Paper 27 5 b Solution 2026-10-06
Finite rearrangement and the Von Mangoldt divisor identity giveFor , integral comparison of the increasing logarithm gives . Moving to real changes the main term by . Thus the integrated Chebyshev sum hasFor , chooseThese are logarithmic Möbius function weights; they need not be upper-bound sieve weights. For , the Möbius inversion identities and giveHence the expression suggested in the question isWe will use the elementary Möbius harmonic logarithmic moments, , for whichHere is a proof of the needed estimates. From , replacing floors by gives . Also , because . Substituting the permitted harmonic number estimate gives , so .
For , the weighted Dirichlet hyperbola method gives the harmonic divisor sum expansionExplicitly, for , . Substitute the harmonic estimate and , obtained by unit-interval integral comparison. This proves the expansion without a prime-distribution theorem. Since , we have , and thereforeThe summed error is bounded by , by integral comparison. Thus .
Finally substitute the asymptotic for into . The main term isThe error sum is : partition the integers into ; each interval contributes , and the resulting series converges. Using the moment estimates proves the Selberg symmetry formula:In particular, the factor two comes from the quadratic logarithmic moment, rather than from an assumption of the Prime number theorem.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 iii Paper 150 1 c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
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