Sparser variance for primes in arithmetic progression (Q667801): Difference between revisions

Let $F:\ (1,\infty)\to {\mathbb R}$ be a differentiable function such that \[ F(y)\geq 2,\ F'(y)\geq 1\ (y\geq y_0(F)) \] and put $f(y)=[F(y)]$. Consider the remainders \[ E(x; h,\ell)=\underset{p\equiv\ell\pmod{h}}{\sum\limits_{p\leq \ell}} \log p-\frac{x}{\phi(h)},\ \ \ (\ell,h)=1, \] where $x$ is large and the moduli $h$ are restricted to the values of $f(h)$, and $p$ denotes a prime. Further, let $V_F(x,y)$ denote the variance \[ V_F(x,y)=\sum\limits_{y_0(F)< k \leq y} F'(k)\underset{(\ell,f(k))=1}{\sum\limits_{\ell=1}^f(k)} E(x; h,\ell)^2. \] \textit{C. Hooley} [J. Reine Angew. Math. 274--275, 206--223 (1975; Zbl 0304.10027)] and \textit{H. L. Montgomery} [Mich. Math. J. 17, 33--39 (1970; Zbl 0209.34804)] in the 70's proved that for $1\leq y\leq x$, with an arbitrary constant $A$ we have \[ V_F(x,y)=xy\log y+c_0xy +O(x^{1/2}y^{3/2}+x^2(\log x)^{-A}). \] Using a new approach of \textit{D. A. Goldston} and \textit{R. C. Vaughan} [Lond. Math. Soc. Lect. Note Ser. 237, 117--142 (1997; Zbl 0929.11034)], \textit{J. Brüdern} and \textit{T. D. Wooley} [Q. J. Math. 62, No. 2, 289--305 (2011; Zbl 1255.11044)] recently generalized this assymptotic formula to the case where $F$ is an integer valued polynomial of degree at least two, having positive leading coefficient. \par In the present paper the authors give two further variants of the Montgomery-Hooley theorem. Their first theorem concerns functions $F$ of the form $F(k)=k^c$ where $c>1$ and $c\notin{\mathbb N}$, and gives a kind of sharpening of the asymptotic formula of Brüdern and Wooley in the sense that they could make a constant appearing there independent of $F$ in this case. Their second result concerns the choice $F(k)=\exp{\left( (\log k)^\gamma\right)}$ where $1<\gamma<3/2$, and provides a formula for $V_F(x,y)$ of similar structure as in the other cases.