Some applications to zero density theorems for \(L\)-functions (Q1314837)

Let \(S(x,\alpha)=\sum_{n\leq x} \Lambda(n)e(n\alpha)\), where \(\Lambda\) is the von-Mangoldt function, and \(e(\beta)=e^{2\pi i\beta}\) for real \(\beta\). In many additive problems in prime number theory, such as Goldbach's problem, we often need to known the average behaviour of \(S(x,\alpha)\) over \(0<\alpha<1\). When \(\alpha\) is near a rational number with a ``small'' denominator the sum has an asymptotic formula, from which the desired behaviour can be derived by appealing to non-trivial upper bounds for \(| S(x,\alpha)|\) for other values of \(\alpha\). In the first part of the paper the author proves a Bombieri-Vinogradov type mean value theorem for the sum. More specifically, he proves that \[ \sum_{q\leq Q} \max_{(a,q)=1}\max_{y\leq x}\max_{|\beta|\leq\theta}\left| S\left(y,{a\over q}+\beta\right)-{\mu(q)\over\phi(q)}\sum_{n\leq y} e(n\beta)\right|\ll{x\over\log^ A x}, \] for \(A> 0\), \(1\leq Q\leq x^{1/4}\) and \(\theta=\min(Q^{-4},(\log x)^{-8(A+21)})\). The author remarks that the exponent \(1/4\) in the bound for \(Q\) may be improved slightly. By small denominators \(q\), as referred to earlier, one often means that \(q\leq \log^ A x\), although, on the assumption of the generalized Riemann hypothesis the relevant asymptotic formula still holds for \(q\leq x^{1/3}/\log^ \delta x\), where \(\delta>4/3\). Similarly, the density hypothesis leads to the bound \(Q\leq x^{1/3}\) in the above, but this seems to be out of reach using only zero density results. Next, consider the ternary Goldbach problem in a thin set. Here the problem is to find a set of primes \(P\) with counting function \(P(x)\ll x^ \delta\) for some \(\delta<1\), with the property that all large odd numbers are sums of three primes in \(P\). By probabilistic arguments \textit{E. Wirsing} [Analysis 6, 285-308 (1986; Zbl 0586.10032)] proved the existence of \(P\) with \(P(x)\ll (x\log x)^{1/3}\). In the second part of the paper the author applies his argument to a similar sum involving characters to give an explicit construction for a set \(P\) of primes in certain residue classes modulo certain primes, with \(P(x)\ll x^{15/16}\).