On locally repeated values of certain arithmetic functions. IV (Q1127602)

[Part III, Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 101, 1-7 (1987; Zbl 0631.10029).] It is shown that one may find \(n\leq x\) with \(\omega(n)> \omega(n-1)>\dots> \omega(n-k)\) and \(k\gg (\log x)^{1/2} (\log\log x)^{-1}\). In particular, the values of \(m+ \omega(m)\) are all different from \(m= n-k,\dots, n\). In contrast, it is shown that there is an \(n\leq x\) for which \(m+ \omega(m)= n\) has \(\gg(\log x)^{1/2} (\log\log x)^{-1}\) solutions \(m\). This answers a question posed in the first paper [J. Number Theory 21, 319-332 (1985; Zbl 0574.10012)] of this series. It is also shown that if \(\Omega(n-k),\dots, \Omega(n)\) are all distinct, then \(k\leq (1+o(1))\log x/\log\log x\); while if \(\Omega(n-k)=\dots= \Omega(n)\), then \(k\leq \exp (\{2^{-1/2}+ o(1)\}(\log x)^{1/2})\). A key tool in the proofs is a Turán-Kubilius inequality for integers restricted to a fixed residue class.