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We study the tendency of AI systems to deceive by constructing a realistic simulation setting of a company AI assistant. The simulated company employees provide tasks for the assistant to complete, these tasks spanning writing assistance, information retrieval and programming. We then introduce situations where the model might be inclined to behave deceptively, while taking care to not instruct or otherwise pressure the model to do so. Across different scenarios, we find that Claude 3 Opus 1) complies with a task of mass-generating comments to influence public perception of the company, later deceiving humans about it having done so, 2) lies to auditors when asked questions, and 3) strategically pretends to be less capable than it is during capability evaluations. Our work demonstrates that even models trained to be helpful, harmless and honest sometimes behave deceptively in realistic scenarios, without notable external pressure to do so.

We show that almost all sectors of the disc $\{z \in \mathbb{C}: |z|^2\leq X\}$ of area $(\log X)^{15.1}$ contain products of exactly two Gaussian primes, and that almost all sectors of area $(\log X)^{1 + \varepsilon}$ contain products of exactly three Gaussian primes. The argument is based on mean value theorems, large value estimates and pointwise bounds for Hecke character sums., Comment: 53 pages; referee comments incorporated; to appear in Rev. Mat. Iberoam

We show that $$\sum_{\substack{p_n \in [x, 2x] \\ p_{n+1} - p_n \ge x^{1/2}}} (p_{n+1} - p_n) \ll x^{0.57+\epsilon}$$ and $$\sum_{\substack{p_n \in [x, 2x] \\ p_{n+1} - p_n \ge x^{0.45}}} (p_{n+1} - p_n) \ll x^{0.63+\epsilon},$$ where $p_n$ is the $n$th prime number. The proof combines Heath-Brown's recent work with Harman's sieve, improving and extending his results. We give applications of the results to prime-representing functions, binary digits of primes and approximation of reals by multiplicative functions., Comment: 57 pages, 3 figures. Two ancillary files (C++-programs)

This work concerns Artin's Conjecture on primitive roots and related problems for number fields. Let $K$ be a number field and let $W_1$ to $W_n$ be finitely generated subgroups of $K^\times$ of positive rank. We consider the index map, which maps a prime $\mathfrak p$ of $K$ to the $n$-tuple of the indices of $(W_i \bmod \mathfrak p)$. Conditionally under GRH, any preimage under the index map admits a density, and the aim of this work is describing it. For example, we express the density as a limit in various ways. We study in particular the preimages of sets of $n$-tuples that are defined by prescribing valuations for their entries. Under some mild assumptions we can express the density as a multiple of a (suitably defined) Artin-type constant.

Since Hooley's seminal 1967 resolution of Artin's primitive root conjecture under the Generalized Riemann Hypothesis, numerous variations of the conjecture have been considered. We present a framework generalizing and unifying many previously considered variants, and prove results in this full generality (under GRH)., Comment: 16 pages. Improved exposition, fixed typos. To appear in Research in Number Theory

For an algebraic number $\alpha$ we consider the orders of the reductions of $\alpha$ in finite fields. In the case where $\alpha$ is an integer, it is known by the work on Artin's primitive root conjecture that the order is "almost always almost maximal" assuming the generalized Riemann hypothesis, but unconditional results remain modest. We consider higher degree variants under GRH. First, we modify an argument of Roskam to settle the case where $\alpha$ and the reduction have degree two. Second, we give a positive lower density result when $\alpha$ is of degree three and the reduction is of degree two. Third, we give higher rank results in situations where the reductions are of degree two, three, four or six. As an application we give an almost equidistribution result for linear recurrences modulo primes. Finally, we present a general result conditional to GRH and a hypothesis on smooth values of polynomials at prime arguments., Comment: 25 pages

Let $d \ge 3$ be an integer and let $P \in \mathbb{Z}[x]$ be a polynomial of degree $d$ whose Galois group is $S_d$. Let $(a_n)$ be a linearly recuresive sequence of integers which has $P$ as its characteristic polynomial. We prove, under the generalized Riemann hypothesis, that the lower density of the set of primes which divide at least one element of the sequence $(a_n)$ is positive., Comment: 11 pages

A well-known open problem asks to show that $2^n+5$ is composite for almost all values of $n$. This was proposed by Gil Kalai as a possible Polymath project, and was posed originally by Christopher Hooley. We show that, assuming GRH and a form of the pair correlation conjecture, the answer to this problem is affirmative. We in fact do not need the full power of the pair correlation conjecture, and it suffices to assume a generalization of the Brun-Titchmarsh inequality for the Chebotarev density theorem that is implied by it. Our methods apply to any shifted exponential sequence of the form $a^n-b$ and show that, under the same assumptions, such numbers are $k$-almost primes for a density $0$ of natural numbers $n$. Furthermore, we show that $a^p-b$ is composite for almost all primes $p$ whenever $(a, b) \neq (2, 1)$., Comment: 39 pages; referee comments incorporated; to appear in Adv. Math

The prime divisors of a polynomial $P$ with integer coefficients are those primes $p$ for which $P(x) \equiv 0 \pmod{p}$ is solvable. Our main result is that the common prime divisors of any several polynomials are exactly the prime divisors of some single polynomial. By combining this result with a theorem of Ax we get that for any system $F$ of multivariate polynomial equations with integer coefficients, the set of primes $p$ for which $F$ is solvable modulo $p$ is the set of prime divisors of some univariate polynomial. In addition, we prove results on the densities of the prime divisors of polynomials. The article serves as a light introduction to algebraic number theory and Galois theory., Comment: 16 pages

We determine a necessary and sufficient condition for the infinitude of primes $p$ such that none of the equations $a_i^x \equiv b_i \pmod{p}, 1 \le i \le n,$ are solvable. We control the insolvability of $a^x \equiv b \pmod{p}$ by power residues for multiplicatively independent $a$ and $b$, and by divisibilities and, most importantly, parities of orders in multiplicatively dependent cases. We also consider a more general problem concerning divisibilities of orders. The problems are motivated by Artin's primitive root conjecture and its variants., Comment: 13 pages. Rewrite and restructure article. Consider a more general problem on (in)divisibilities of orders

For finitely generated subgroups $W_1, \ldots , W_t$ of $\mathbb{Q}^{\times}$, integers $k_1, \ldots , k_t$, a Galois extension $F$ of $\mathbb{Q}$ and a union of conjugacy classes $C \subset \text{Gal}(F/\mathbb{Q})$, we develop methods for determining if there exists infinitely many primes $p$ such that the index of the reduction of $W_i$ modulo $p$ divides $k_i$ and such that the Artin symbol of $p$ on $F$ is contained in $C$. The results are a multivariable generalization of H.W. Lenstra's work. As an application, we determine all integers $a_1, \ldots , a_n$ such that $\text{ord}_p(a_1) = \ldots = \text{ord}_p(a_n)$ for infinitely many primes $p$. We also discuss the set of those $p$ for which $\text{ord}_p(a_1) > \ldots > \text{ord}_p(a_n)$. The obtained results are conditional to a generalization of the Riemann hypothesis., Comment: 20 pages. Add section on Kummer-type extensions and improve exposition