In this paper, we consider the distribution of primes in intervals of length $\asymp\log x$; this leads to insights concerning Poisson random variables. Later, we consider reduced residues $({\rm mod}\,q)$ in short intervals, which similarly motivates us to derive further information concerning moments of binomial random variables. This discussion is extended further, where we consider the distribution of primes in intervals of length $\asymp x^{\theta}$ where $0<\theta<1$. Our analysis gives rise to a family of polynomials.
We show that a certain modified Mellin transform $\mathcal M(s)$ of Hardy's function is an entire function. There are reasons to connect $\mathcal M(s)$ with the function $\zeta(2s-1/2)$, and then the orders of $\mathcal M(s)$ and $\zeta(s)$ should be comparable on the critical line. Indeed, an estimate for $\mathcal M(s)$ is proved which in the particular case of the critical line coincides with the classical estimate of the zeta-function.
Various properties of the Mellin transform function $$\mathcal{M}_k(s):= \int_1^{\infty} Z^k(x)x^{-s}\,dx$$ are investigated, where $$Z(t):=\zeta(\frac{1}{2}+it)\,\chi(\frac{1}{2}+it)^{-1/2},~~~~\zeta(s)=\chi(s)\zeta(1-s)$$ is Hardy's function. Connections with power moments of $|\zeta(\frac{1}{2}+it)|$ are established, and natural boundaries of $\mathcal{M}_k(s)$ are discussed.
This paper gives a complete four-parameter solution of the simultaneous diophantine equations $x+y+z=u+v+w, x^3+y^3+z^3=u^3+v^3+w^3,$ in terms of quadratic polynomials in which each parameter occurs only in the first degree. This solution is much simpler than the complete solutions of these equations published earlier. This simple solution is used to obtain solutions of several related diophantine problems. For instance, the paper gives a parametric solution of the arbitrarily long simultaneous diophantine chains of the type $x^k_1+y^k_1+z^k_1=x^k_2+y^k_2+z^k_2=\ldots=x^k_n+y^k_n+z^k_n=\ldots,~~k=1,3.$ Further, the complete ideal symmetric solution of the Tarry-Escott problem of degree $4$ is obtained, and it is also shown that any arbitrarily given integer can be expressed as the sum of four distinct nonzero integers such that the sum of the cubes of these four integers is equal to the cube of the given integer.