Integers with dense divisors. II (Q6230822)

Let \(F(1)=1\), \(P^-(1)=\infty\), and, when \(n\geq 2\), \(P^-(n)= \min_{p|n}p\), \[ F(n)=\max\{dP^-(d): d|n,\;d>1\}. \] Define \(D(x.t), A(x ,t), E_\lambda(x)\), respectively, to be the number of positive integers \(n\leq x\) such that \(F(n)\leq nt\), \(F(n)\leq xt\), \(F(n)\leq n^{1+\lambda}\) where \(0<\lambda\leq 1\). In Part I [J. Number Theory 108, 1--17 (2004; Zbl 1055.11053)], the author pointed out that from earlier results of G. Tenenbaum and E. Saias it follows that when \(t= x^{1/w}\) for fixed \(w\geq 1\) \[ D(x,t)\sim A(x,t)\sim E_{1/w}(x)\sim xd(w) \] as \(x\to\infty\), where \(d(w)\) a certain continuous function on \(w\geq 1\). This is improved in the paper under review by allowing \(w=\frac{\log x}{\log t}\) to vary subject to \(x\geq t\geq\exp((\log\log x)^{\tfrac 53+ \varepsilon})\) with \(\varepsilon >0\), \(x\geq 3\), and by obtaining an error term \(O(\frac{x}{\log x})\). A key step is to derive an asymptotic formula for the number of integers contributing to \(A(x,t)\) that satisfy \(n=1\) or \(P^+(n):=\max_{p|n}p\leq y\) for \(n\geq 2\) where \(x\geq y\geq t\geq\exp ((\log\lg x)^{\tfrac 53+\varepsilon})\), \(\varepsilon>0\), \(x\geq 3\). The main term here involves a function \(a(u,w)\) with \(u=\frac{\log x} {\log y}\) that is defined by an integral equation, and some of its properties are established, including that \(0\leq a(u.w)\geq \rho(u)\) where \(\rho(u)\) denotes the Dickman function.