A Quantum Model of the Distribution of Prime Numbers and the Riemann Hypothesis

Abstract

After proving that numerical sequences such as Fibonacci numbers and prime numbers, can be generated as sequences of equilibrium points of an ideal half-infinite one-dimensional distribution of electric charges, a model of the distribution of primes on the x-axis is proposed, where primes ρ(n) are considered as quantum particles oscillating around the sequence of stationary points r(n) of the Lennard-Jones-like potential of the single-particle Hamiltonian. A particle-counting function πQ(x) is defined over the many-particle system, in the same way as the prime-counting function π(x). Through the application of the Hellmann-Feynman theorem, the existence of a solution n(x) ≈ li(x), coinciding asymptotically with the logarithmic integral function, is proved for the counting function of stationary points, together with the quantum equivalent of the Prime Number Theorem for the particle-counting function πQ(x). The conditions on the sequence of energy eigenvalues E(n) of the system, so that the Riemann hypothesis holds for the function πQ(x), are derived, thus proving the quantum theory results in the same bound of the position of the prime-particle in the n-th quantum state as that derived through analytical methods for the n-th prime. The model suggests new conjectures and statistical procedures which are applied to study the sign of the difference π(x)-li(x) and to explore the region beyond the Skewes number. The data predicted by the theory find confirmation when compared with those known in the literature. A new statistical local test of the Riemann hypothesis, based on the difference π(x)-li(x), is proposed.