Quadratic residues and non-residues in arithmetic progression (Q2444502)

Let \(p\geq 3\) be prime. For any nonnegative integer \(a\) and any positive integers \(b\) and \(s\), let \[ \mathrm{AP}(b;s)=\left\{ \left\{ n+ib : i=0,1,\ldots,s-1\right\} : n\in \mathbb N\right\}, \] be the family of arithmetic progressions of length \(s\) and ratio \(b\) and, more generally, let \[ \mathrm{AP}(a,b;s)=\left\{ \left\{ a+b(n+i): i=0,1,\ldots,s-1\right\} : n\in \mathbb N\right\} , \] be the family of all arithmetic progressions of length \(s\) taken from a fixed arithmetic progression \(\mathrm{AP}(a,b)=\left\{ a+bn:n\in\mathbb N \right\}\). The author determines the asymptotic behavior, as \(p\to\infty\), of the number of elements of \(\mathrm{AP}(b;s)\) and \(\mathrm{AP}(a,b;s)\) which are sets of quadratic residues (respectively, non-residues) modulo \(p\) occurring inside \( \{1,2,\ldots, p-1\}\). As such, he is generalizing and building on the classical results of \textit{H. Davenport} [J. Lond. Math. Soc. 6, 49--54 (1931; Zbl 0001.12301); J. Lond. Math. Soc. 7, 117--121 (1932; Zbl 0004.20101)] and [Acta Math. 71, 99--121 (1939; Zbl 0021.20202)], who considered the problem of estimating the number of sets of \(s\) consecutive quadratic residues (respectively, non-residues) modulo \(p\) occurring inside \(\{1,2,\ldots,p-1\}\). For the study of the set \(\mathrm{AP}(b;s)\) the author employs methods from character sums and he uses particular estimates on hybrid and mixed Weyl sums. The study of \(\mathrm{AP}(a,b;s)\) is trickier and more involved; in order to do so, the author introduces and works with several ingenious concepts such as \textit{overlap diagram}, \textit{signature of a prime} etc. (This review was written together with Alexandru Ciolan)