Let ${\mathcal H}$ be a multiplicative subgroup of $\mathbb{F}_p^*$ of order $H>p^{1/4}$. We show that $$ \max_{(a,p)=1}\left|\sum_{x\in {\mathcal H}} {\mathbf{\,e}}_p(ax)\right| \le H^{1-31/2880+o(1)}, $$ where ${\mathbf{\,e}}_p(z) = \exp(2 πi z/p)$, which improves a result of Bourgain and Garaev (2009). We also obtain new estimates for double exponential sums with product $nx$ with $x \in {\mathcal H}$ and $n \in {\mathcal N}$ for a short interval ${\mathcal N}$ of consecutive integers.
We consider a family of character sums as multiplicative analogues of Kloosterman sums. Using Gauss sums, Jacobi sums and Deligne's bound for hyper-Kloosterman sums, we establish asymptotic formulae for any real (positive) moments of the above character sum as the character runs over all non-trivial multiplicative characters mod $p.$ Moreover, an arcsine law is also established as a consequence of the method of moments. The evaluations of these moments also allow us to obtain asymptotic formulae for moments of such character sums weighted by special $L$-values (at $1/2$ and $1$).
We show that there is significant cancellation in certain exponential sums over small multiplicative subgroups of finite fields, giving an exposition of the arguments by Bourgain and Chang.
We show that if an exponential sum with multiplicative coefficients is large then the associated multiplicative function is "pretentious". This leads to applications in the circle method, and a natural interpretation of the local-global principle.
We study sums with multiplicative functions that take values over a non-homogenous Beatty sequence. We then apply our result in a few special cases to obtain asymptotic formulas such as the number of integers in a Beatty sequence representable as a sum of two squares up to a given magnitude.
We investigate the solubility of the congruence xy=1 (mod p), where p is a prime and x,y are restricted to lie in suitable short intervals. Our work relies on a mean value theorem for incomplete Kloosterman sums.
We establish a normal approximation for the limiting distribution of partial sums of random Rademacher multiplicative functions over function fields, provided the number of irreducible factors of the polynomials is small enough. This parallels work of Harper for random Rademacher multiplicative functions over the integers.
In this paper, we study the average size of the product of a number and its multiplicative inverse modulo a prime p. This turns out to be related to moments of L-functions and leads to a curious asymptotic formula for a certain triple exponential sum.
Consider a multiplicative function f(n) taking values on the unit circle. Is it possible that the partial sums of this function are bounded? We show that if we weaken the notion of multiplicativity so that f(pn)=f(p)f(n) for all primes p in some finite set P, then the answer is yes. We also discuss a result of Bronstein that shows that functions modified from characters at a finite number of places.
Let $p$ be an odd prime. Using I. M. Vinogradov's bilinear estimate, we present an elementary approach to estimate nontrivially the character sum $$ \sum_{x\in H}χ(x+a),\qquad a\in\Bbb F_p^*, $$ where $H<\Bbb F_p^*$ is a multiplicative subgroup in finite prime field $\Bbb F_p$. Some interesting mean-value estimates are also provided.
The series of some new estimates for the sums of the type \[ S_{q}(x;f)\,=\,\mathop{{\sum}'}\limits_{n\leqslant x}f(n)e_{q}(an^{*}+bn) \] is obtained. Here $q$ is a sufficiently large integer, $\sqrt{q}(\log{q})\!\ll\!x\leqslant q$, $a,b$ are integers, $(a,q)=1$, $e_{q}(v) = e^{2πiv/q}$, $f(n)$ is a multiplicative function, $nn^{*}\equiv 1 \pmod{q}$ and the prime sign means that $(n,q)=1$.
We present a class of multiplicative functions $f:\mathbb{N}\to\mathbb{C}$ with bounded partial sums. The novelty here is that our functions do not need to have modulus bounded by $1$. The key feature is that they pretend to be the constant function $1$ and that for some prime $q$, $\sum_{k=0}^\infty \frac{f(q^k)}{q^k}=0$. These combined with other conditions guarantee that these functions are periodic and have sum equal to zero inside each period. Further, we study the class of multiplicative functions $f=f_1\ast f_2$, where each $f_j$ is multiplicative and periodic with bounded partial sums.…
Let $k$ be an integer greater than or equal $4$. We show that if a multiplicative function $f$ satisfies \[ f(x_1^2 + x_2^2 + \dots + x_k^2) = f(x_1)^2 + f(x_2)^2 + \dots + f(x_k)^2 \] for all positive integers $x_i$'s, then $f$ is the identity function.
Let $f$ be a multiplicative function which satisfies \[ f(a^2+b^2+c^2+d^2) = f(a^2+b^2)+f(c^2+d^2) \] for positive integers $a$, $b$, $c$, and $d$. We show that $f$ is the identity function provided that $f(3)\,f(11) \ne 0$. Otherwise, $f(n)=0$ for all $n \ge 2$ except for $n=3,9,11$.
We provide examples of multiplicative functions $f$ supported on the $k$-free integers such that at primes $f(p)=\pm 1$ and such that the partial sums of $f$ up to $x$ are $o(x^{1/k})$. Further, if we assume the Generalized Riemann Hypothesis, then we can improve the exponent $1/k$: There are examples such that the partial sums up to $x$ are $o(x^{1/(k+\frac{1}{2})+ε})$, for all $ε>0$. This generalizes to the $k$-free integers the results of Aymone, `` A note on multiplicative functions resembling the {M}öbius function'', J. Number Theory, 212 (2020), pp. 113--121.
The Landau-Selberg-Delange (LSD) method gives an asymptotic formula for the partial sums of a multiplicative function $f$ whose prime values are $α$ on average. In the literature, the average is usually taken to be $α$ with a very strong error term, leading to an asymptotic formula for the partial sums with a very strong error term. In practice, the average at the prime values may only be known with a fairly weak error term, and so we explore here how good an estimate this will imply for the partial sums of $f$, developing new techniques to do so.
We obtain several asymptotic formulas for the sum of the divisor function $τ(n)$ with $n \le x$ in an arithmetic progressions $n \equiv a \pmod q$ on average over $a$ from a set of several consecutive elements from set of reduced residues modulo $q$ and on average over arbitrary sets. The main goal is to obtain nontrivial results for $q \ge x^{2/3}$ with the small amount of averaging over $a$. We recall that for individual values of $a$ the limit of our current methods is $q \le x^{2/3-\varepsilon}$ for an arbitrary fixed $\varepsilon> 0$. Our method builds on an approach due to Blomer (2008) …
We deduce asymptotic formulas for the alternating sums $\sum_{n\le x} (-1)^{n-1} f(n)$ and $\sum_{n\le x} (-1)^{n-1} \frac1{f(n)}$, where $f$ is one of the following classical multiplicative arithmetic functions: Euler's totient function, the Dedekind function, the sum-of-divisors function, the divisor function, the gcd-sum function. We also consider analogs of these functions, which are associated to unitary and exponential divisors, and other special functions. Some of our results improve the error terms obtained by Bordellès and Cloitre. We formulate certain open problems.
A method of estimating sums of multiplicative functions braided with Dirichlet characters is demonstrated, leading to a taxonomy of the characters for which such sums are large.
There are two main interrelated goals of this paper. Firstly we investigate the sums \[ S_N(α,γ):=\sum_{n=1}^N\frac{1}{n\|nα-γ\|}~~~\text{and}~~~ R_N(α,γ):=\sum_{n=1}^N\frac{1}{\|nα-γ\|}\,, \] where $α$ and $γ$ are real parameters and $\|\cdot\|$ is the distance to the nearest integer. Our theorems improve upon previous results of W. M. Schmidt and others, and are (up to constants) best possible. Related to the above sums, we also obtain upper and lower bounds for the cardinality of \[ \{1\le n\le N:\|nα-γ\|<\varepsilon\} \, , \] valid for all sufficiently large $N$ and all sufficiently small …
We obtain new bounds on short Weil sums over small multiplicative subgroups of prime finite fields which remain nontrivial in the range the classical Weil bound is already trivial. The method we use is a blend of techniques coming from algebraic geometry and additive combinatorics.
Let $f(n)$ be a multiplicative function satisfying $|f(n)|\leq 1$, $q$ $(\leq N^2)$ be a positive integer and $a$ be an integer with $(a,\,q)=1$. In this paper, we shall prove that $$\sum_{\substack{n\leq N\\ (n,\,q)=1}}f(n)e({a\bar{n}\over q})\ll\sqrt{τ(q)\over q}N\log\log(6N)+q^{{1\over 4}+{ε\over 2}}N^{1\over 2}(\log(6N))^{1\over 2}+{N\over \sqrt{\log\log(6N)}},$$ where $\bar{n}$ is the multiplicative inverse of $n$ such that $\bar{n}n\equiv 1\,({\rm mod}\,q),\,e(x)=\exp(2πix),\,τ(q)$ is the divisor function.
Answering a question of T. Cochrane and C. Pinner, we prove that for any ε>0, sufficiently large prime number p and an arbitrary multiplicative subgroup R of the field Z/pZ, p^ε < |R| < p^{2/3-ε} the following holds |R + R|, |R - R| > |R|^{3/2+δ}, where δ>0 depends on ε only.
As early as the 1930s, Pál Erdős conjectured that: {\em for any multiplicative function $f:\mathbb{N}\to\{-1,1\}$, the partial sums $\sum_{n\leq x}f(n)$ are unbounded.} Considering this conjecture, in this paper we consider multiplicative functions $f$ satisfying $$\sum_{p\leq x}f(p)=c\cdot\frac{x}{\log x}(1+o(1)).$$ We prove that if $c>0$ then the partial sums of $f$ are unbounded, and if $c<0$ then the partial sums of $μf$ are unbounded. Extensions of this result are also discussed.
We study exponential sums whose coefficients are completely multiplicative and belong to the complex unit disc. Our main result shows that such a sum has substantial cancellation unless the coefficient function is essentially a Dirichlet character. As an application we improve current bounds on odd order character sums. Furthermore, conditionally on the Generalized Riemann Hypothesis we obtain a bound for odd order character sums which is best possible.
Given a finitely generated multiplicative subgroup of rational numbers $Γ$, assuming the Generalized Riemann Hypothesis, we determine an asymptotic formula for average over prime numbers, powers of the order of the reduction group modulo $p$. The problem was considered in the case of rank $1$ by Pomerance and Kurlberg. In the case when $Γ$ contains only positive numbers, we give an explicit expression for the involved density in terms of an Euler product. We conclude with some numerical computations.
We use multiple zeta functions to prove, under suitable assumptions, precise asymptotic formulas for the averages of multivariable multiplicative functions. As applications, we prove some conjectures on the average number of cyclic subgroups of the group ${\mathbb Z}_{m_1}\times\dots\times {\mathbb Z}_{m_n}$ and multivariable averages associated with the LCM function.
Let $f(n)$ be a multiplicative function with $|f(n)|\leq 1, q$ be a prime number and $a$ be an integer with $(a, q)=1, χ$ be a non-principal Dirichlet character modulo $q$. Let $\varepsilon$ be a sufficiently small positive constant, $A$ be a large constant, $q^{\frac12+\varepsilon}\ll N\ll q^A$. In this paper, we shall prove that $$ \sum_{n\leq N}f(n)χ(n+a)\ll N\frac{\log\log q}{\log q} $$ and that $$ \sum_{n\leq N}f(n)χ(n+a_1)\cdotsχ(n+a_t)\ll N\frac{\log\log q}{\log q}, $$ where $t\geq 2, a_1, \ldots, a_t$ are distinct integers modulo $q$.
We provide a simple proof that the partial sums $\sum_{n\leq x}f(n)$ of a Rademacher random multiplicative function $f$ change sign infinitely often as $x\to\infty$, almost surely.
In the paper we obtain new estimates for binary and ternary sums of multiplicative characters with additive convolutions of characteristic functions of sets, having small additive doubling. In particular, we improve a result of M.-C. Chang. The proof uses Croot-Sisask almost periodicity lemma.
Let F_q be the finite field of q elements. Let H be a multiplicative subgroup of F_q^*. For a positive integer k and element b\in F_q, we give a sharp estimate for the number of k-element subsets of H which sum to b.
Let $K$ be a number field, and let $G\subset K^\times$ be a finitely generated subgroup. Fix some prime number $\ell$, and consider the set of primes $\mathfrak{p}$ of $K$ satisfying the following property: the reduction of $G$ modulo $\mathfrak{p}$ is well-defined and has size coprime to $\ell$. We give a closed--form expression for the density of this set.
We obtain new bounds of multivariate exponential sums with monomials, when the variables run over rather short intervals. Furthermore, we use the same method to derive estimates on similar sums with multiplicative characters to which previously known methods do not apply. In particular, in the multiplicative characters modulo a prime $p$ we break the barrier of $p^{1/4}$ for ranges of individual variables.
A subgroup H of G=(Z/dZ)^* is called balanced if every coset of H is evenly distributed between the lower and upper halves of G, i.e., has equal numbers of elements with representatives in (0,d/2) and (d/2,d). This notion has applications to ranks of elliptic curves. We give a simple criterion in terms of characters for a subgroup H to be balanced, and for a fixed integer p, we study the distribution of integers d such that the cyclic subgroup of (Z/dZ)^* generated by p is balanced.
We consider families of exponential sums indexed by a subgroup of invertible classes modulo some prime power $q$. For fixed $d$, we restrict to moduli $q$ so that there is a unique subgroup of invertible classes modulo $q$ of order $d$. We study distribution properties of these families of sums as $q$ grows and we establish equidistribution results in some regions of the complex plane which are described as the image of a multi-dimensional torus via an explicit Laurent polynomial. In some cases, the region of equidistribution can be interpreted as the one delimited by a hypocycloid, or as a Mi…
Generalizing a result of S.V. Konyagin and D.R. Heath--Brown, we prove, in particular, that for any multiplicative subgroup R of Z/pZ and any nonzero elements mu_1,...,mu_k the following holds |R \cap (R+mu_1) \cap ... \cap (R+mu_k)| \ll_k |R|^{1/2+alpha_k}, provided by 1 \ll_k |R| \ll_k p^{1-β_k}, where alpha_k, beta_k are some sequences of positive reals and alpha_k, beta_k tend to zero. Besides we show that for an arbitrary subgroup R, |R| < p^{1/2} one have |R\pm R| > |R|^{5/3} \log^{-1/2} |R|.
The Landau-Selberg-Delange method provides an asymptotic formula for the partial sums of a multiplicative function whose average value on primes is a fixed complex number $v$. The shape of this asymptotic implies that $f$ can get very small on average only if $v=0,-1,-2,\dots$. Moreover, if $v<0$, then the Dirichlet series associated to $f$ must have a zero of multiplicity $-v$ at $s=1$. In this paper, we prove a converse result that shows that if $f$ is a multiplicative function that is bounded by a suitable divisor function, and $f$ has very small partial sums, then there must be finitely ma…
We prove a stratification result for certain families of $n$-dimensional (complete algebraic) multiplicative character sums. The character sums we consider are sums of products of $r$ multiplicative characters evaluated at rational functions, and the families (with $nr$ parameters) are obtained by allowing each of the $r$ rational functions to be replaced by an "offset", i.e. a translate, of itself. For very general such families, we show that the stratum of the parameter space on which the character sum has maximum weight $n+j$ has codimension at least $j\lfloor(r-1)/2(n-1)\rfloor$ for $1\le …
Let $f(n)$ be a multiplicative function satisfying $|f(n)|\leq 1$, $q$ $(\leq N^2)$ be a prime number and $a$ be an integer with $(a,\,q)=1$, $χ$ be a non-principal Dirichlet character modulo $q$. In this paper, we shall prove that $$ \sum_{n\leq N}f(n)χ(n+a)\ll {N\over q^{1\over 4}}\log\log(6N)+q^{1\over 4}N^{1\over 2}\log(6N)+{N\over \sqrt{\log\log(6N)}}. $$ We shall also prove that \begin{align*} &\sum_{n\leq N}f(n)χ(n+a_1)\cdotsχ(n+a_t)\ll {N\over q^{1\over 4}}\log\log(6N)\\ &\quad+q^{1\over 4}N^{1\over 2}\log(6N)+{N\over \sqrt{\log\log(6N)}}, \end{align*} where $t\geq 2$, $a_1,\,\cdots,\,…
This article is an expanded version of the talk given by the first author at the conference "Exponential sums over finite fields and applications" (ETH, Zürich, November, 2010). We state some conjectures on archimedian and $p$-adic estimates for multiplicative character sums over smooth projective varieties. We also review some of the results of J. Dollarhide, which formed the basis for these conjectures. Applying his results, we prove one of the conjectures when the smooth projective variety is ${\mathbb P}^n$ itself.
We study multiplicative nested sums, which are generalizations of harmonic sums, and provide a calculation through multiplication of index matrices. Special cases interpret the index matrices as stochastic transition matrices of random walks on a finite number of sites. Relations among multiplicative nested sums, which are generalizations of relations between harmonic series and multiple zeta functions, can be easily derived from identities of the index matrices. Combinatorial identities and their generalizations can also be derived from this computation.
We obtain a nontrivial bound on the number of solutions to the equation $$ A^{x_1} + \ldots + A^{x_ν} = A^{x_{ν+1}} + \ldots + A^{x_{2ν}}, \quad 1 \le x_1, \ldots,x_{2ν} \le τ, $$ with a fixed $n\times n$ matrix $A$ over a finite field $\mathbb F_q$ of $q$ elements of multiplicative order $τ$. We give applications of our result to obtaining a new bound of additive character sums with a matrix exponential function, which is nontrivial beyond the square-root threshold. For $n=2$ this equation has been considered by Kurlberg and Rudnick (2001) (for $ν=2$) and Bourgain (2005) (for large $ν$) in th…
