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Two Series containing the Primes and a
Conjecture concerning the Prime Difference
A constructive attitude towards prime Numbers
 B. S. Anand (28/08/1964)
I Hardy and Wright ask some natural questions regarding primes in their 
introductory book on number theory. Which suggest the related enquiry 
as to the smallest prime greater than a given positive integer x. 
A constructive reply is easily obtained.
I consider that multiple of p - a prime smaller than x - which immediately 
exceeds x.
The smallest odd number not amongst such multiples is the required prime.
With minor refinements, this result may be used to construct the prime 
series. As distinct from the sieve of Erastosthenes where the primes are 
discovered amongst the series of integers. A construction which I now 
proceed to develop formally. And which may have some significance in an 
age of computers.
II The primes smaller than x I take to be p(i) for i = 1 to n. With p(1) = 2. 
And p(n) as the n'th prime, immediately smaller than x.
I have the congruences:
x + a(i) ≡ 0 (mod p(i)) ... 0 ≤ a(i) < p(i)
I can form the class {a(i)} of residues a(i) mod p(i). Any member of this, 
when added to x, gives an integer divisible by p(i).
But what interests me more are the integers not divisible by p(i). So I form 
the complement of {a(i)} in the non-negative integers. And denote it by
 {a(i)}*. It is non-empty as it contains a(i) + 1.
Now, a common member of these classes {a(i)}*, when added to x, 
yields an integer not divisible by any p(i). The solutions y of the n 
simultaneous congruences:
y ≡ a(i) + 1 (mod p(i))
being such common elements, ∩{a(i)}* is not empty.
I denote its smallest member by y(m).
In case x is composite, this gives x + y(m) as the smallest prime 
greater than x. 
III There is a useful result in connection with primes. That only the primes 
smaller than the square root of x are necessary to test its primality.
So I am suggested the theorem:
For every w satisfying:
(i) w is in ∩{a(i)}*, w - y(m) < (x + y(m))*(x + y(m-1)), if x is composite;
(ii) w is in ∩{a(i), b}*, w < x*(x = 1), if x is prime;
the integer x + w is a prime.
IV The reasoning in I and II may be graphically presented by means of the 
attached prime number construction charts, where I work directly with 
the various a(i)'s, instead of their residue classes, which results in the 
occurence of some composite numbers, as indicated.
I illustrate the method of construction by considering, say, the k'th row which 
has no zeros.
p(1) p(2) ... p(i) ...
... ... ... ... ...
... ... ... ... ...
k p(n) a(1, k) a(2, k) ... a(i, k) ...
Here, for i < n, 0 < a(i, k) < p(i):
(i) k is the number of the construction;
(ii) n is the number of the prime given by the (k-1)th step;
(iii) a(i, k) is given by p(n) + a(i, k) ≡ 0 (mod p(i));
(iv) r(n) is the least even integer not among the a(i, k)'s.
If p(n) + r(n) is not congruent to 0, (mod p(i)), for any i ≤ n, it is therefore
the prime p(n+1).
To obtain the (k+1)th row, subtract r(n) from a(i, k) to give a(i, k+1), adding p(i) 
if necessary. Subtract it also from p(n) to give a(n, k+1).
And p(n) + r(n) will not be prime only when r(n), though not equal to any a(i, k), 
nevertheless exists in some residue class {a(i, k)}.
In which case one of the a(i, k+1) will be zero, and we have generated a composite 
number.
And every time r(n) = 2, a prime pair occurs.
While if in any row a(1) = 1, and a(i) is not 0 or 1 for any other i, then the construction 
has generated a prime of the form 2m+1.
I may now enquire:
When is a composite generated?
And can this procedure be used more effectively than the sieve of Eratosthenes
for the construction of primes by computers?
And can problems regarding primes be translated into problems about the 
residues a(i) and the differences r(n)?