Primes in arithmetic progressions to large moduli I: Fixed residue classes (Q7014531)

Letting \(\pi(x;q,a)\) to be the number of primes less than \(x\) congruent to \(a\) modulo \(q\), the Siegel-Walfisz theorem states that uniformly for \(q\le (\log{x})^A\) and \((a,q)=1\)\N\[\N\pi(x;q,a)=\Bigl(1+O_A\Bigl(\frac{1}{(\log{x})^A}\Bigr)\Bigr)\frac{\pi(x)}{\phi(q)},\N\]\Nwhere \(\pi(x)\) is the number of primes less than \(x\), and \(\phi\) refers to the Euler function. An essential problem in analytic number theory is to widen the above range for \(q\). Under the assumption of the Generalized Riemann Hypothesis, the range when the above theorem holds can be extended to \(q\le x^{1/2}/(\log{x})^B\) for \(B=B(A)\) sufficiently large in terms of \(A\). The Bombieri-Vinogradov Theorem confirms this conditional result on average by stating that for every \(A>0\) and \(B=B(A)\) sufficiently large in terms of \(A\) we have\N\[\N\sum_{q\le x^{1/2}/(\log{x})^B}\,\sup_{(a,q)=1}\Bigl|\pi(x;q,a)-\frac{\pi(x)}{\phi(q)}\Bigr|\ll_A\frac{x}{(\log{x})^A}.\N\]\NA remarkable investigation in the theory of ``primes in arithmetic progressions to large moduli'' is due to \textit{E. Bombieri} et al. [Acta Math. 156, 203--251 (1986; Zbl 0588.10042); Math. Ann. 277, 361--393 (1987; Zbl 0625.10036); J. Am. Math. Soc. 2, No. 2, 215--223 (1989; Zbl 0674.10036)]. Now, after about 40 years, J. Maynard provided three impressive works, carrying same title, remembering the above mentioned three works of Bombieri-Friedlander-Iwaniec, and providing significant improvements in the theory of prime numbers.\N\NIn this volume, the author refines ideas of Bombieri-Friedlander-Iwaniec and combines them with the ideas of \textit{Y. Zhang} [Ann. Math. (2) 179, No. 3, 1121--1174 (2014; Zbl 1290.11128)] to produce a hybrid result, providing new mean value theorems for primes in arithmetic progressions to moduli larger than \(x^{1/2}\). The main result asserts that if \(a\in\mathbb{Z}\), \(\varepsilon>0\) and \(Q_1,Q_2\) satisfy the conditions\N\[\NQ_1Q_2^2<x^{1-100\varepsilon},\quad Q_1^{12}Q_2^7<x^{4-100\varepsilon},\quad Q_1^{20}Q_2^{19}<x^{10-100\varepsilon},\N\]\Nthen for every \(A>0\) we have\N\[\N\sum_{\substack{q_1\le Q_1\\\N(q_1,a)=1}}\sum_{\substack{q_2\le Q_2\\\N(q_2,a)=1}}\Bigl|\pi(x;q_1q_2,a)-\frac{\pi(x)}{\phi(q_1q_2)}\Bigr|\ll_{a,\varepsilon,A}\frac{x}{(\log{x})^A}.\N\]\NThis shows that the primes are equidistributed for a fixed residue class over all moduli of size \(x^{1/2+\delta}\) with a `convenient sized' factor. Furthermore, when \(Q_1\approx x^{1/21}\), the above result ends in the following non-trivial average approximation for moduli as large as \(x^{11/21-\varepsilon}\),\N\[\N\sum_{\substack{q_1\le x^{1/21}\\\N(q_1,a)=1}}\sum_{\substack{q_2\le x^{10/21-\varepsilon} \\\N(q_2,a)=1}}\Bigl|\pi(x;q_1q_2,a)-\frac{\pi(x)}{\phi(q_1q_2)}\Bigr|\ll_{a,\varepsilon,A}\frac{x}{(\log{x})^A}.\N\]\N\NThe proofs are based on all previous major results in this direction, including the above mentioned works of Bombieri-Friedlander-Iwaniec, and several related results including approximations for exponential sums based on ideas from automorphic forms due to \textit{J.-M. Deshouillers} and \textit{H. Iwaniec} [Invent. Math. 70, 219--288 (1982; Zbl 0502.10021)].