Small gaps between the set of products of at most two primes (Q2176572)

The author uses the Maynard-Tao weighted sieve process to investigate under usual distribution hypotheses the short gaps between either products of two primes \(q_n\) or integers having at most two prime factors \(r_n\). In particular, it is proved unconditionally that \(r_{n+2}-r_n\le 16\) occurs infinitely often, and that, under the Elliott-Halberstam hypothesis for both the primes and the products of two primes, we even have \(r_{n+2}-r_n\le 6\) infinitely often. Concerning longer gaps, it is proved that, for \(\varepsilon>0\) and \(\rho\ge \rho_0(\varepsilon)\), we have infinitely often \[q_{n+\rho}-q_n\le \exp\frac{2(2+\varepsilon)\rho}{3\log \rho}.\] This improves on what \textit{D. A. Goldston} et al. proved in [Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. (3) 98, No. 3, 741--774 (2009; Zbl 1213.11171)] essentially by the factor \(\log \rho\) in the denominator.