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For coefficients $b_n$ supported on an interval of length $H$, write $B=\sum b_n$ and $B_p(a)={\sum }_{n\equiv a(\mathrm{mod}p)}{b}_n$. The variance form of the large sieve statesThe constant is absolute. One may take the explicit right side $(Q^2+2\pi H)\sum |b_n{|}^2$, by orthogonality of roots of unity and the exponential-sum large sieve proved in Question 2.

Take $H=\lfloor N^2\rfloor$, $Q=N$, and $b_n$ the indicator function of the $N^{\epsilon }$-smooth numbers up to $N^2$. Applying the given smooth-number density with parameter $\epsilon /2$ giveswith a harmless adjustment of the constant for integer endpoints. If an odd prime $p\le N$ has least quadratic nonresidue $n(p)>N^{\epsilon }$, then $p>N^{\epsilon }$: a quadratic nonresidue always occurs among $1,\dots ,p-1$. Every prime factor of every selected smooth number is thus a nonzero quadratic residue modulo $p$. By the multiplicativity of the Legendre symbol, every selected number is a nonzero quadratic residue modulo $p$.

There are $(p-1)/2$ nonzero quadratic nonresidue classes, and $B_p(a)=0$ on all of them. Their contribution to the variance is at leastIf $R$ denotes the number of exceptional primes, the variance form of the large sieve, with $\sum |b_n{|}^2=B$, yields $R{B}^2\ll N^{2}B$. ConsequentlyThis is the bounded exceptional primes for least quadratic nonresidues argument. Using an interval of length $N^2$ is what matches the $Q^2$ term; an interval of length $N$ would not give a bounded exceptional set.

Write an integral binary quadratic form as $[a,b,c]=a{x}^2+bxy+c{y}^2$, with discriminant of a binary quadratic form $D=b^2-4ac$. It is positive definite when $a>0$ and $D<0$. Two forms are equivalent if one is obtained from the other by an integral linear change of variables whose matrix lies in ${\mathrm{SL}}_2(\mathbb{Z})$. A positive definite form is reduced whenwith $b\ge 0$ when $|b|=a$ or $a=c$.

To reduce a form, apply a unimodular shear $x\mapsto x+ny$ with $n$ chosen so that the new middle coefficient has $|b^{\prime }|\le a$. If the new final coefficient $c^{\prime }$ is smaller than $a$, exchange the variables, using a determinant-one rotation, so that the positive leading coefficient decreases from $a$ to $c^{\prime }$. Repeating must stop because a positive integer cannot decrease indefinitely. At termination $|b|\le a\le c$, and elementary sign changes impose the boundary convention. This is the reduction algorithm for a positive definite binary quadratic form, and proves that every positive definite form is equivalent to a reduced one.

The displayed forms have discriminant $1-36=-35$, so the intended discriminant is $-35$. For any reduced form of this discriminant, enumeration of reduced binary quadratic forms givesThe boundary convention and direct checking of $a=1,2,3$ leave only

Suppose first that a prime $p>7$ is represented by $f_1$. The identityshows modulo both $5$ and $7$ that $4p$ is a nonzero square. HenceSimilarly,Modulo $5$, this says $2p$ is a square, while modulo $7$ it says $5p$ is a square. Since $(2/5)=(5/7)=-1$, the multiplicativity of the Legendre symbol gives

Conversely, suppose the two displayed Legendre symbols have the same sign. By quadratic reciprocity,Choose an odd integer $B$ satisfying $B^2\equiv -35(\mathrm{mod}p)$. Since $B$ is odd, $B^2+35$ is also divisible by $4$, sois a positive definite integral form of discriminant $-35$ that represents $p$. Reducing $F$ yields either $f_1$ or $f_2$, and equivalence preserves represented integers. The necessary symbol calculation above determines which one: the positive pair selects $f_1$, and the negative pair selects $f_2$. Therefore

Write $\chi (x)=(x/p)$. Choose a quadratic nonresidue $a$. Multiplication by $a$ permutes ${\mathbb{F}}_p$, while multiplicativity of the Legendre symbol gives $\chi (ax)=-\chi (x)$. Thereforeso the complete Legendre-symbol sum is zero.

Since $4x(x+1)=(2x+1{)}^2-1$ and $\chi (4)=1$, the bijection $x\mapsto 2x+1$ reduces the next sum to ${\sum }_y\chi (y^2-1)$. Count pairs $(y,t)\in {\mathbb{F}}_p^2$ satisfying $t^2=y^2-1$. On one hand their number isOn the other hand $(y-t)(y+t)=1$, and every $u\in {\mathbb{F}}_p^{\times }$ gives exactly one pair by $y-t=u$, $y+t=u^{-1}$. There are therefore $p-1$ pairs, proving the quadratic Legendre-symbol correlation

For $1\le z\le p-2$, the indicator that both $z$ and $z+1$ are quadratic residues is $(1+\chi (z))(1+\chi (z+1))/4$. Summing and using the two identities above gives the number of consecutive nonzero quadratic residues modulo an odd prime

For an odd prime number $p$, the Legendre symbol isIf $p\nmid x$, multiplicativity of the Legendre symbol givesBoth factors belong to $\{1,-1\}$, so they are equal. Thus $(x^{-1}/p)=(x/p)$.