Primes in progressions to moduli with a large power factor (Q2369909)

Let an integer \(a\geq 2\) and an arbitrary real \(A> 0\) be given. Then it is shown that \[ \sum_{\substack{ d\leq x^{1/2} q^{-1}(\log x)^{-A-6}\\(d,q)= 1}} \max_{(r,qd)= 1}\,\max_{y\leq x}\,\Biggl|\pi(y; qd,r)- {Li(y)\over \phi(qd)}\Biggr|\ll_{a,A} {x\over\phi(q)(\log x)^A}, \] uniformly for \(q =a^m\) with \(q\leq x^{1/3}\exp(-(\log\log x)^3)\). This result includes the standard Bombieri-Vinogradov theorem as the special case \(q= 1\). Taking only the term \(d= 1\) yields \[ \pi(x; d,r)\sim{Li(x)\over \phi(q)} \] uniformly for \(q= a^m\leq x^{1/3}\exp(-(\log\log x)^3)\), which is a slightly weaker form of a result by \textit{M. B. Barban}, \textit{Yu. V. Linnik} and \textit{N. G. Chudakov} [Acta Arith. 9, 375--390 (1964; Zbl 0127.26901)]. The proof uses an estimate for sums of \(|\psi(y,\chi)|\) in which the characters are restricted to those whose conductors have a pre-specified factor. This is taken from the author's book [Arithmetic functions and integer products, Grundlehren der Mathematischen Wissenschaften, 272. New York: Springer (1985; Zbl 0559.10032)]. In addition, the author handles small values of \(d\) via a zero-free region for \(L\)-functions with ``smooth'' moduli, due to \textit{H. Iwaniec} [Invent. Math. 23, 97--104 (1974; Zbl 0275.10024)].