Jumping by Primes Guarantees Discrepancy Blow-Up

Sampling only prime positions still detonates infinite imbalance.

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Prime-indexed subsequences are frequently studied in analytic number theory for detecting hidden correlations.

One might hope that restricting attention to prime step sizes could tame discrepancy growth. After all, primes are sparse and irregular. Yet the Erdős Discrepancy theorem applies to every positive integer step, including primes. For some prime p, the partial sums along positions p, 2p, 3p, and beyond must exceed any fixed bound. Even the arithmetic skeleton defined by primes cannot preserve balance. This shows that sparsity offers no refuge. Multiplicative scaling, however selective, still amplifies hidden correlations. Prime stepping cannot prevent divergence.

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The shock lies in the inevitability across sparse scales. Prime gaps grow larger, yet imbalance still accumulates. Even when sampling becomes increasingly thin, deviation eventually explodes. The result undercuts intuition that less frequent probing might stabilize sums. Arithmetic structure persists regardless of density. Infinite sequences remain vulnerable under prime magnification.

This prime-based inevitability reinforces the deep connection between discrepancy and multiplicative number theory. Primes often behave unpredictably, yet here they serve as reliable amplifiers of imbalance. The theorem demonstrates that prime-driven arithmetic still obeys divergence laws. Even the most fundamental building blocks of integers cannot rescue infinite balance. Prime stepping only delays the eruption, never prevents it.

Source

Annals of Mathematics

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