It is well-known that the logarithms of prime numbers are linearly independent over Q. It is also known that
the question whether the logarithms are algebraically independent over Q is an open problem.
What is known about the next to linear by complexity case? Are the logarithms of primes quadratically independent over Q, i.e.
∑ij≤Naijlogpilogpj=0,aij∈Q,⟹aij=−aji?
Answer
It seems highly probable that this is an open question, for the following indirect reason.
For non-negative integers mp,np (p prime), almost all zero, if a=∏ppmp and b=∏ppnp, then
log2a=log3b⟺∑pmplogplog2=∑pnplogplog3⟺−n2(log2)2+(m2−n3)log2log3+m3(log3)2−∑p⩾5nplog2logp+∑p⩾5mplog3logp=0,
and if the logarithms of the primes were known to be quadratically independent over Q, this would imply a=2n, b=3n for some non-negative integer n; but as this would settle the notorious open problem If 2xand 3x are integers, must x be as well?, someone would surely have noticed by now!
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