On the exceptional set of Lagrange's equation with three prime and one almost-prime variables (Q819891)

It is conjectured that every sufficiently large integer \(n\equiv 4 \pmod {24}\) is a sum of the squares of 4 primes. As an approximation to this, representations \(n=p^2_1+p^2_2+p^2_3+m^2\), where \(m\) is a \(P_{11}\) almost prime are considered. It is then shown that all relevant integers \(n\leq X\) are representable, with at most \(O((\log X)^{1053})\) exceptions. Previously \textit{Trevor D. Wooley} [Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. (3) 85, 1--21 (2002; Zbl 1039.11066)] had obtained a bound \(O((\log X)^{6+\varepsilon})\), for any \(\varepsilon >0\), in the case in which \(m\) is unrestricted. The proof combines the Kloosterman form of the circle method with a weighted sieve.