On prime vs. prime power pairs (Q2182432)

The paper under review studies the distribution of pairs of a prime and a prime power with a fixed difference. Let \(k\ge 2\) be an integer and \(\mathbb{H}_k\) be the set of all positive integers \(h\) such that the polynomial \(x^k+h \in \mathbb{Q}[x]\) is irreducible over \(\mathbb{Q}\) and \(h\not \equiv -1 \,(\textrm{mod}\; p)\) for every prime \(p\) with \((p-1)|k\). Let \(X>0\) be a real number, \(h\in \mathbb{H}_k\), and \(\Lambda\) denote the von Mangoldt function. Then \[ \Psi_k^*(X,h):=\sum_{n^k\le X}\Lambda(n) \Lambda(n^k+h) \] is the counting function for the number of solutions of the equation \[ p'-p^k=h \] in primes \(p\) and \(p'\). It this paper the author proves that if \(H, A\ge 2, \varepsilon >0\) are real numbers, then \[ \Psi_k^*(X,h)=\mathfrak{S}_k^*(h) X^{\frac{1}{k}}+O(X^{\frac{1}{k}}(\log X)^{-A}) \] for all but \(\ll H(\log X)^{-A}\) integers \(h\in [1,H]\cap \mathbb{H}_k\) provided that \[ X^{1-\frac{1}{k}+\varepsilon}\le H\le X, \tag{a}\] where the implicit constants depend on \(k\), \(A\) and \(\varepsilon\). Here, as usual, \(\mathfrak{S}_k^*(h)\) denotes the corresponding singular series, which depends only on \(h\) and \(k\). This theorem improves upon an earlier result of \textit{C. Bauer} [Acta Arith. 85, No. 2, 99--118 (1998; Zbl 0912.11040)], which had \( X^{1-\frac{1}{2k}+\varepsilon}\) instead of \( X^{1-\frac{1}{k}+\varepsilon}\) on the left-hand side of (a). The proof uses the Hardy-Littlewood circle method. The main difficulties arise in the treatment of the minor arcs. Their estimate is reduced to the minor arc estimate for the twin prime problem as given in the works of \textit{H. Mikawa} [Tsukuba J. Math. 15, No. 1, 19--29 (1991; Zbl 0735.11041)] and \textit{A. Perelli} and \textit{J. Pintz} [J. Lond. Math. Soc., II. Ser. 47, No. 1, 41--49 (1993; Zbl 0806.11042)].