On pairs of coprime integers with no large prime factors (Q1182513)

Let \(\Psi(x,y;z)\) denote the number of pairs \((n,m)\) of coprime positive integers with \(n\leq x\), \(m\leq y\), that are free of prime factors exceeding \(z\). This function was first introduced in 1948 by Gunderson, but has received much less attention than the more familiar function \(\Psi(x,z)=\Psi(x,1;z)\). In the paper under review the author gives some elementary estimates for \(\Psi(x,y;z)\) and discusses applications of these estimates to a variety of problems in number theory, including bounds on \(k\)th power nonresidues, \(S\)-unit equations, Fermat's last theorem, and primality tests. In particular, he obtains a uniform asymptotic formula for \(\log \Psi(x,y;z)\) analogous to an estimate of \textit{N. G. de Bruijn} [Nederl. Akad. Wet., Proc., Ser. A 69, 239--247 (1966; Zbl 0139.27203)] for \(\log \Psi(x;z)\), and he shows (in a slightly more general form) that \[ \Psi(z^ v,z^ w;z)\geq {\pi(z)+v \choose v}{\pi(z)+w-v \choose w} \] holds for all \(z\geq 2\) and positive integers \(v\) and \(w\). As an application of the latter bound he shows that, for any fixed rational number \(t=r/s>1\) with \((r,s)=1\) and every sufficiently large prime power of the form \(q=p^ a\) with \(r\mid a\), the least \(q^{1/t}\)th power residue modulo \(q\) is \(\leq(1+\varepsilon)(\log q)^ t\).