An explicit version of Bombieri's log-free density estimate and Sárközy's theorem for shifted primes (Q6587576)

Let \(N \geq 2\) be an integer, and let \(\delta(N)\) be the relative density of a largest set \(A\subseteq \lbrace 1, \ldots, N\rbrace\) such that for all primes \(p\), no two elements in \(A\) differ by \(p-1\). In 2024, \textit{B. Green} [J. Am. Math. Soc. 37, No. 4, 1121--1201 (2024; Zbl 07887950)] proved that \(\delta(N)\ll N^{-c}\) for some constant \(c>0\). Assuming GRH, Green's arguments simplify to show that any fixed \(0 < c <\frac{1}{12}\) is admissible. However, an unconditional admissible value of \(c\) was not produced. The purpose of this paper under review is to provide such an admissible value \(c\) by showing that \(c=10^{-18}\). For this purpose, the authors make explicit Bombieri's refinement of Gallagher's log-free large sieve density estimate near \(\sigma=1\) for Dirichlet \(L\)-functions.