On the number of representations in the ternary Goldbach problem with one prime number in a given residue class (Q2488820)

Let \(a\) and \(q\) be integers with \(q>1\), \(0\leq a<q\) and \((a,q)=1\). The author investigates the number of representations of a large natural number \(n\) as a sum of three prime numbers \(p_1\), \(p_2\), \(p_3\), the first one lying in the residue class of \(a\) mod \(q\). It is proved that for every positive fixed \(\theta<1/2\) and \(A>0\) the following estimate holds: \[ \sum\limits_{q\leq n^{\theta}} \max\limits_{(a,q)=1} \left| J_3(n)-\frac{n^2S_3(a,q;n)}{2\varphi(q)} \right| \ll \frac{n^2}{\log^A n}, \] where \[ J_3(n):=\sum\limits_{p_1+p_2+p_3=n;\;p_1 \equiv a \mod q} \log p_1 \log p_2 \log p_3, \] and the term \(S_3(a,q;n)\) is a certain Euler product depending only on \(a\), \(q\) and \(n\). This improves a result of \textit{D. I. Tolev} [Proc. Steklov Inst. Math. 218, 414--432 (1997; Zbl 0911.11048)] who established the above estimate for the range \(\theta<1/3\). For the proof, the author employs the Hardy-Littlewood method. The major arcs contribution is estimated by a result from Tolev's above-mentioned paper. For the estimation of the minor arcs contribution, a special form of a sieve of \textit{H. L. Montgomery} [J. Lond. Math. Soc. 43, 93--98 (1968; Zbl 0254.10043)] is used.