Hua's theorem on five almost equal prime squares (Q2508613)

The author's aim in this paper is to show that any sufficiently large integer~\(N\) satisfying a necessary congruence condition \(N \equiv 5, \bmod\,24\) is representable as a sum of five almost equal squares of primes~\(p_ j\): that is to say one seeks to make each \(p_ j\) satisfy \(\bigl| p_ j-\sqrt{N/5}\,\bigr| \leq U\) with \(U\) somewhat smaller than~\(\sqrt N\): \(U=N^ {{1\over2}-\delta}\), say. Thus \(\delta\) should be made as large as possible. All the known results have been obtained by various developments of the circle method. Recently, in [Chin. Ann. Math., Ser. B 26, No. 2, 291--304 (2005; Zbl 1101.11043)] the author established such a result with \(\delta={1\over35}-\varepsilon\) if \(\varepsilon>0\), improving on results of \textit{J.~Y.~Liu} and \textit{T.~Zhan} [Sci. China, Ser. A 41, No. 7, 710--722 (1998; Zbl 0938.11048)], and of \textit{C.~Bauer} [Acta Math. Sin., Engl. Ser. 21, No. 4, 833--840 (2005; Zbl 1101.11041)]. This improvement by the author depended on some innovations, also by \textit{J.~Y.~Liu} [Q.~J. Math.~54, No.4, 453--462 (2003; Zbl 1080.11071)], introduced in connection with the related problem of bounding the ``exceptional set'' of numbers not expressible as a sum of \textit{four} squares of primes but satisfying the appropriate necessary congruence condition. For this related problem, further improvements have now been made by \textit{J.~Y.~Liu, T.~D.~Wooley} and \textit{G.~Yu} [J. Number Theory 107, No. 2, 298--321 (2004; Zbl 1056.11055)]. In the paper under review the author uses ideas drawn from the work of Liu, Wooley and~Yu to obtain a further improvement in which the result has \(\delta={1\over28}-\varepsilon\). The reviews cited above contain an indication of the nature of some of the techniques involved.