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Let $C(N,k)$ be the smallest positive integer $x$ such that $[1,x]\subset \mathbb{Z}$ contains $k$ disjoint intervals $I_1, ..., I_k$ of $N$ consecutive integers that are all composite. (For example, $C(2,2)=15$, with $I_1=[8,9]$ and $I_2=[14, 15]$.)

I am interested in the asymptotic behavior of $C(N,k)$ for various fixed values of $k$. Clearly $C(N,1) \leq (N+1)!+N+1$. Also if $M$ divides $N$, and we have $k$ disjoint intervals of $N$ consecutive composites, we can break each interval up into $N/M$ disjoint intervals of $M$ consecutive composites, giving a total of $kN/M$ intervals, and so $C(M, kN/M) \leq C(N, k)$.

So, we have $C(N,k) \leq C(kN, 1) \leq (kN+1)!+kN+1$.

However, these bounds give $15=C(2,2)\leq C(4,1)=27\leq 5!+5=125$, which doesn't seem very tight. Can anyone come up with better bounds or asymptotics?

The gap between primes is something like $O(\log(N))$, and so maybe $C(N,k)$ grows sort of like $O(ke^N)$?

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# Consecutive composite numbers

Let $C(N,k)$ be the smallest positive integer $x$ such that $[1,x]\subset \mathbb{Z}$ contains $k$ disjoint intervals $I_1, ..., I_k$ of $N$ consecutive integers that are all composite. (For example, $C(2,2)=15$, with $I_1=[8,9]$ and $I_2=[14, 15]$.)

I am interested in the asymptotic behavior of $C(N,k)$ for various fixed values of $k$. Clearly $C(N,1) \leq (N+1)!+N+1$. Also if $M$ divides $N$, and we have $k$ disjoint intervals of $N$ consecutive composites, we can break each interval up into $N/M$ disjoint intervals of $M$ consecutive composites, giving a total of $kN/M$ intervals, and so $C(M, kN/M) \leq C(N, k)$.

So, we have $C(N,k) \leq C(kN, 1) \leq (kN+1)!+kN+1$.

However, these bounds give $15=C(2,2)\leq C(4,1)=27\leq 5!+5=125$, which doesn't seem very tight. Can anyone come up with better bounds or asymptotics?