The exceptional set of Goldbach numbers (II) (Q4486447)

Numbers which are sums of two odd primes are called Goldbach numbers. Let \(E(x)\) denote the number of even numbers up to \(x\) which are not Goldbach numbers, so that the Goldbach conjecture is that \(E(x)=2\) for every \(x\geq 4\). \textit{H. L. Montgomery} and \textit{R. C. Vaughan} [Acta Arith. 27, 353-370 (1975; Zbl 0301.10043)] first proved that there exists a positive \(\theta<1\) such that \(E(x)\ll x^{\theta}\). Earlier the author [Q. J. Math., Oxf. II. Ser. 50, No. 200, 471-482 (1999; Zbl 0937.11046)] showed that \(\theta=0{\cdot}921\) is an admissible value, and here he improves the result to \(\theta=0{\cdot}914\). Complicated calculations together with explicit numerical bounds for zero-free regions and density results for Dirichlet's \(L\)-functions are required. The improvement also makes use of a method of separating zeros introduced in a paper by \textit{J. Y. Liu, M. C. Liu} and \textit{T. Z. Wang} [Sci. China, Ser. A 41, No. 12, 1255-1271 (1998; Zbl 0924.11086)].