Levels of distribution for sieve problems in prehomogeneous vector spaces (Q2308337)

In [Am. J. Math. 142, No. 1, 177--213 (2020; Zbl 1506.11148)], the authors developed an efficient algebraic method for computing the Fourier transforms of certain functions defined on prehomogeneous vector spaces over finite fields, and they carried out these computations in a variety of cases. In this paper, they develop a method, based on Fourier analysis and algebraic geometry, which exploits these Fourier transform formulas to yield level of distribution results, in the sense of analytic number theory. Such results are of the shape typically required for a variety of sieve methods. As an example of such an application they prove that there are \( >> \frac{X}{\log X}\) quartic fields whose discriminant is squarefree, bounded above by \(X\), and has at most eight prime factors. In this paper they develop a general technique sufficient to prove the following: Theorem 1. There is an absolute constant \(C_3 > 0 \) such that for each \(X > 0\), there exist \( \geq (C_3 + o_X (1)) \frac{X}{\log X}\) cubic fields \(K\) whose discriminant is squarefree, bounded above by \(X\), and has at most 3 prime factors. Theorem 2. There is an absolute constant \(C_4 > 0\) such that for each \(X > 0\), there exist \( \geq (C_4+o_X (1)) \frac{X}{\log X}\) quartic fields \(K\) whose discriminant is squarefree, bounded above by \(X\), and has at most 8 prime factors.