Difference sets without \(\kappa\)-th powers (Q1333068)

For positive integers \(N\), \(k\), let \(\sigma(N,k)\) denote the maximal number of integers \(1\le a_ 1< \ldots< a_\sigma\le N\) such that the difference set of \(\{a_1,\dots, a_\sigma\}\) contains no perfect \(k\)-th powers, i.e. the equation \(a_i- a_j= m^k\), \(i>j\), has no solution. A consequence of a result of \textit{T. Kamae} and \textit{M. Mendès France} [Isr. J. Math. 31, 335--342 (1978; Zbl 0396.10040)] is that for any fixed \(k\ge 2\), \(\sigma(N,k) = o(N)\) as \(N\to\infty\). This was made more precise in the case \(k=2\) by \textit{J. Pintz}, \textit{W. L. Steiger} and \textit{E. Szemerédi} [J. Lond. Math. Soc., II. Ser. 37, No. 2, 219--231 (1988; Zbl 0651.10031)] who showed that \[ \sigma (N,2)\ll N/ (\log N)^{\frac{1}{12}} \log\log \log\log N}. \] In this paper, this last result is improved and extended to all \(k\ge 2\). The authors show that \[ \sigma (N,k)\le C_0 N/ (\log N)^{\frac{1}{4} \log\log \log\log N} \] for some \(C_0>0\) and for all \(N\ge N_0\). Both \(C_0\) and \(N_0\) are effectively computable as functions of \(k\).