On numbers with a large prime power factor (Q1320460)

It is a classical problem to estimate from below the largest prime factor \(P(u,k)\) dividing one of the numbers \(u,u+1, \dots, u+k\). The author considers the more general quantity \(P_ j(u,k)\) standing for the largest prime \(p\) such that \(p^ j\) divides one of the numbers mentioned above. The main result is that given a positive integer \(j\) and a positive number \(\lambda\), we have \[ P_ j(u,k) \gg k^{1/j+ c(\log k/\log u)^ 2} \] for \(k\geq k_ 0\) and \(k^{1+\lambda} \leq u\leq k^{\delta(\log k/\log\log k)^{1/2}}\), where the numbers \(\delta>0\), \(c>0\) and \(k_ 0\), as well as the constant implied by \(\gg\), depend only on \(j\) and \(\lambda\). The case \(j=1\) of this improves a result of the reviewer [J. Indian Math. Soc., New Ser. 38(1974), 125-130 (1975; Zbl 0335.10045)] as regards the upper end of the admissible range for \(u\). The proof is based on an estimate for the exponential sum \(\sum_{p\leq N} e(x/p^ j)\) proved by Vaughan's variant of Vinogradov's method.