Polynomial values modulo primes on average and sharpness of the larger sieve (Q901790)

For a positive integer \(N\), let \([N]\) denote the set \(\{1,2,\dots,N\}.\) Let \(X \subset [N]\) be a subset and \(\alpha \in (0,\frac{1}{2}]\). If \(|X\pmod{p}| \leq (\alpha+o(1))p\) for every prime \(p\), then as a special case of large sieve of \textit{P. X. Gallagher} [Acta Arith. 18, 77--81 (1971; Zbl 0231.10028)] we have \(|X|\ll N^{\alpha+o(1)}\). The main aim of this paper is to consider the situation when \(|X\pmod{p}|\leq\alpha p\) for some fixed \(\alpha \in (0,1)\) and to see whether the bound provided by the larger sieve is the best possible. When \(\alpha >\frac{1}{2}\), the statement still holds, but is beaten by the bound \( |X| \ll_{\alpha} N^\frac{1}{2}\) following from the large sieve [\textit{H. L. Montgomery}, Bull. Am. Math. Soc. 84, 547--567 (1978; Zbl 0408.10033)]. When \(\alpha <\frac{1}{2}\), is the bound \(|X|\ll N^{\alpha+o(1)}\) sharp? If \(X\) is the set of perfect squares up to \(N\), then \(|X| \sim N^{\frac{1}{2}}\) and \(X\) occupies \(\frac{p+1}{2}\) residue classes (the quadratic residues) modulo any odd prime \(p\). The question of whether this is the only type of sharp example is usually referred to as the inverse sieve conjecture. Assuming the truth of an inverse sieve conjecture, it is proved here that the bound can be improved for small \(\alpha\). The result follows from studying the average size of \(|X(\) mod \( p)| \) as \(p\) varies when \(X=f(\mathbb{Z})\cap [N]\) is the value set of a polynomial \(f(x) \in \mathbb{Z}[x].\) In the end, some further remarks have been made concerning the Gallagher's larger sieve as well as the quantity \(\alpha(f)\), and the average of the relative size of the value set of \(f\pmod{p}\) as \(p\) varies.