On polynomial congruences (Q5917695)

Let \(f(x)\) be a polynomial of degree \(n\) with integer coefficients, and let \(E(f, q)\) stand for the set of the solutions of the congruence \(f(x) \equiv 0\pmod q\) in the interval \([0, q)\). It is shown, by an analysis of the structure of this set in terms of arithmetic progressions, that it is uniformly distributed in the sense that for a given integer \(P\in [1, q]\), the cardinality of the set \(E(f, q)\cap [0, P)\) deviates from the expectation \((P/ q) |E(f, q)|\) less than \(n^{v (q)}\), where \(v(q)\) is the number of distinct prime divisors of \(q\). Moreover, this estimate is best possible, up to a constant factor depending on \(n\). Suppose now that the gcf of the coefficients of \(f\) with \(q\) is 1. Then the cardinality of the set \(E(f, q)\cap [0, P)\) is shown to be \(\ll Pq^{- 1/n}+ P^\varepsilon\), where the implied constant may depend on \(n\) and \(\varepsilon >0\). Moreover, the bound is even \(\ll 1\) for \(P\leq q^{1/n- \varepsilon}\). These estimates improve corresponding results of \textit{I. Shparlinskij} [Acta Arith. 58, 153-156 (1991; Zbl 0729.11002)].