Almost prime triples and Chen's theorem (Q739291)

The twin prime conjecture that \(p+2\) is prime for infinitely primes \(p\) remains unsolved. However \textit{J.-r. Chen} [Sci. Sin. 16, 157--176 (1973; Zbl 0319.10056)] proved his famous result that there are infinitely many primes \(p\) such that \(p+2\) has at most two prime factors. Several authors have established extensions of this result of various types including ones related to the conjecture that \(p\), \(p+2\), \(p+6\) are prime for infinitely many primes \(p\). In the interesting paper under review the authors estimate from below the number of primes \(p\leq x\) such that \(p+2\) has at most two prime factors and \(p+6\) has at most 76 prime factors. They remark that the number 76 could be reduce at the expense of a more elaborate proof. Their argument involves ideas from \textit{J.-r. Chen}'s approach [Sci. Sin. 16, 157--176 (1973; Zbl 0319.10056)] as well as a variety of sieve tools such as the linear sieve, the vector sieve, Selberg's sieve and a version of the Bombieri-Vinogradov theorem; these are described in the third section. They are used in a well-constructed complicated proof of the main result which contains some innovative features such as varying the sieve dimension in Selberg's sieve in part of their argument. Some delicate calculations are required to ensure that \(p+6\) has no more than 76 prime factors. The proof of one of the key propositions concerning an asymptotic expression for the standard type of function \(G(z)^{-1}\) featuring in similar problems is delayed until' the end of the paper.