Kloosterman sums with primes and solvability of a congruence with inverse residues (Q2234365)

Let \(q\ge 3\), \(m\), \(a\), and \(b\) be arbitrary integers with \((ab,q)=1\). Suppose that \(g(x)\equiv a\overline{x}+bx\pmod q\), where as usual \(\overline{x}\) denotes the inverse of the residue \(x\) modulo \(q\), i.e., a solution to the congruence \(x\overline{x}\equiv 1\pmod q\). This paper is concerned with the solvability of the congruence \[ g(p_1)+\ldots+g(p_k)\equiv m\;\pmod q\tag{1} \] in primes \(p_1,\ldots,p_k\le N\), \(N\to +\infty\), depending on the parameteres \(a\), \(b\), \(m\), and \(k\). The author shows that provided \(0<\varepsilon<0.01\) is an arbitrarily small constant, \(q\ge q_0(\varepsilon,k)\), \[ c_k=\frac{2(k+33)}{3k+64} \text{ for }3\le k\le 15,\text{ and }c_k=\frac{3k+50}{4(k+12)}\text{ for }k\ge 16, \] and \(q^{c_k+_\varepsilon}\le N\le q\), then the number \(I_k(N)=I_k(a,b,m;q,N)\) of solutions of the congruence (1) in primes \(p_j\le N\), \((p_j,q)=1\), satisfies the equality \[ I_k(N)=\frac{\pi^k(N)}{q}\left(\varkappa_k(q)+O(\Delta_k)\right).\tag{2} \] Here, the quantity \(\varkappa_k(q)=\varkappa_k(a,b,m;q)\) is a nonnegative multiplicative function of \(q\). Moreover, (a) \(\Delta_k=(\ln\ln N)^B(\ln N)^{-A}\) for any \(k\ge 7\), with \(A=\frac{1}{2}+\frac{25}{2}(k-7)\) and \(B=2^k-1\); (b) \(\Delta_k=q^{-\varepsilon}\) for any \(k\ge 3\), provided that the generalized Riemnann hypothesis is true. In order to prove the above result the author establishes two new estimates for the incomplete Kloosterman sums with primes \[ W_q(a,b;X)=\sum_{\substack{p\le X\\ (p,q)=1}} e^{2\pi i(a\overline{p}+bp)/q}. \] Further, the structure of the ``singular series'' \(\varkappa_k(q)\) is investigated to determine under which conditions formula (2) is asymptotic. It is proved that \(\varkappa_k(q)>0\) for any \((q,6)=1\). The case \((q,6)>1\) is reduced to the cases \(q=3^n\) and \(q=2^n\), in view of multiplicativity. The author points out that in each of these cases, for any \(k\ge 3\) and \(n\ge 1\), there exist ``exceptional'' triples \((a,b;m)\) for which \(\varkappa_k(p^n)=0\), \(p=2,\,3\). A complete description of all ``exceptional'' triples for \(p=3\) is given in [\textit{M. A. Korolev}, Chebyshevskiĭ Sb. 21, No. 1(73), 200--211 (2020; Zbl 1455.11116)]. The problem of describing all ``exceptional'' triples for \(p=2\) remains open.