Polynomial values free of large prime factors (Q5948355)

Let \(F\) be a polynomial with integer coefficients, let \(g\) be the largest of the degrees of its irreducible factors, and let \(k\) be the number of distinct irreducible factors of \(F\) of degree \(g\). One of the main results in this paper is that, given any positive number \(\varepsilon \), the number of the numbers \(n\leq x\) such that \(F(n)\) is free of prime factors exceeding \(x^{g+\varepsilon -1/k}\) lies between two constant multiples of \(x\). The proof makes use of results due to the third author on the localization of divisors of polynomial values. An analogous result is obtained also on the values \(F(p)\), where \(p\) is restricted to prime numbers.