Almost-primes in arithmetic progressions and short intervals (Q1264181)

The author gives two applications of Iwaniec's form of the linear sieve [\textit{H. Iwaniec}, Acta Arith 37, 307-320 (1980; Zbl 0444.10038)]. Let \(P_ 2\) denote integers with at most two prime factors. Theorem 1. Given q, then for almost all reduced residue classes a mod q, there exists a \(P_ 2\) such that \[ P_ 2\equiv a\quad mod q,\quad P_ 2\leq g(q)\quad (\log q)^ 5 \] (g(x) is any positive function tending to infinity as \(x\to \infty).\) This improves a result of \textit{Y. Motohashi} [J. Math. Soc. Japan 28, 363-383 (1976; Zbl 0317.10053)] who got \(P_ 2\leq q^{11/10}\) by means of sieve arguments. Theorem 2. For almost all n the interval \((n,n+g(n)(\log n)^ 5]\) contains a \(P_ 2.\) A slightly weaker result of this kind, with (log n)\({}^{7+\epsilon}\), was proved by \textit{G. Harman} [Math. Ann. 258, 107-112 (1981; Zbl 0474.10034)] by analytical means. The rather technical proofs are written with great care.