On products of primes and almost primes in arithmetic progressions (Q2448983)

The author proves that for any integers \(a\) and \(m\) with \(m>1\) and \(\gcd(a,m) = 1\), there is a solution to the congruence \(pr\equiv a \pmod{m}\) where \(p\) is a prime, \(r\) is the product of at most \(17\) prime factors and \(p,r\leq m\). The result yields an answer of a relaxation of a problem of \textit{P. Erdős, A. M. Odlyzko} and \textit{A. Sárközy} [Period. Math. Hung. 18, 229--239 (1987; Zbl 0625.10035)], where \(r\) should also be a prime.