On the sequence \(p+h\) (Q914743)

Let x be a sufficiently large positive number, h (\(\neq 0)\) a fixed even number, \(p,p_ 1,..\). primes. Set \[ c_ h=\prod_{p>2}(1-(p-1)^{- 2})\prod_{2<p | h}(p-1)(p-2)^{-1}. \] In this paper we prove, for any \(r\geq 2,\) (1) {\#}\(\{\) p: \(p\leq x\), \(p+h=p_ 1...p_{r-1}\) or \(p_ 1...p_ r\), \(p_ 1<...<p_ r\}>(1.94/(r-2)!)c_ hx \ln^{-2} x(\ln \ln x)^{r- 2}.\) It should be noted here that, (A) the method used in this paper may also be applied to improve the order of the lower bounds for other sieve problems satisfying some very general conditions [cf. the author's article ``On the lower bound sieve'', Mathematika 37, 273-286 (1990)]; (B) combining our method with that used by \textit{J. Wu} [cf. Acta Arith. 55, No.4, 365-394 (1990; Zbl 0662.10033)], the coefficient 1.94 in (1) may be raised to 2.1 for all \(r\geq 2\).