Level of distribution of quadratic polynomials and an upper bound sieve for friable integers (Q2178260)

This paper is largely devoted to the investigation of the multiplicative structure of the polynomial values \(n^2-D\), for fixed non-square \(D\). The first theorem gives a level of distribution estimate. Let \(V\) be a suitable compactly supported weight function, and let \(\lambda(q)\) be well-factorable weights (as in the Rosser-Iwaniec linear sieve, for example). One then has \[\sum_{q\le Q}\left(\sum_{q\mid n^2-D}V(n/x)-x\widehat{V}(0)\nu(q)/q\right) \ll_{\eta,V,D}x^{1-\eta/3},\] for all \(Q\) up to \(x^{1+25/178-\eta}\). (Here \(\nu(q)\) is the number of \(n\) modulo \(q\) for which \(q\mid n^2-D\).) The range \(Q\le x^{1+25/178-\eta}\) improves a result of \textit{H. Iwaniec} [Invent. Math. 47, 171--188 (1978; Zbl 0389.10031)], in which \(25/178\) is replaced by \(1/15\). The proof uses large sieve estimates for Fourier coefficients of cusps forms, following \textit{Á. Tóth} [Int. Math. Res. Not. 2000, No. 14, 719--739 (2000; Zbl 1134.11339)] and \textit{S. Drappeau} [Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. (3) 114, No. 4, 684--732 (2017; Zbl 1392.11059)]. Related ideas produce the second theorem, which shows in particular that if \(x\) is large enough in terms of \(D\), there will be an integer \(n\in(x,2x]\) for which \(P^+(n^2-D)\ge x^{1.2182}\). (Here \(P^+(m)\) is the largest prime factor of \(m\).) This gives a slight improvement of the result given by \textit{J. M. Deshouillers} and \textit{H. Iwaniec} [Ann. Inst. Fourier 32, No. 4, 1--11 (1982; Zbl 0489.10038)] in which the exponent is 1.2024. The paper goes on to consider smooth/friable values of polynomials. For any square-free integral polynomial \(F\) write \(\Psi_F(x,y)\) for the number of integers \(n\le x\) with \(P^+(F(n))\le y\). Very little is known about \(\Psi_F(x,y)\) when \(F\) has degree \(d> 1\), but one would conjecture that \[\Psi_F(x,y)=x\rho(u)^{d+o(1)}, \;\;\; u=\frac{\log x}{\log y}\] when \(u\to\infty\), and \(y\) is not too small in terms of \(x\). Here it is shown that \(\Psi_F(x,y)\ll x\rho(u)^{c+o(1)}\) for \(y\le x\) as soon as \((\log y)/(\log\log x)\to\infty\), with various exponents \(c=c(F)\). One may take \(c=1\) in all cases, recovering a result of \textit{N. Hmyrova} [Sov. Math., Dokl. 5, 576--579 (1964; Zbl 0127.27005); translation from Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR 155, 1268--1271 (1964)]. When \(F\) has an irreducible quadratic factor one can take \(c=1+25/178\). When \(F\) has two or more linear factors \(c=8/5\) is admissible, and when there is just one linear factor one may take \(c=3/2\).