The first moment of cubic exponential sums. (Q1608566): Difference between revisions

The goal of this paper is to examine the average of certain cubic exponential sums as the modulus varies. However the method handles sums defined over \(\mathbb{Z}[\omega]\), where \(\omega= (-1+\sqrt{-3})/2\), rather than sums over \(\mathbb{Z}\). For \(A,B,c\in\mathbb{Z}[\omega]\) with \(c\neq 0\), set \[ T(A,B,c)= \sum_{x\pmod c} \exp\Biggl\{2\pi i\text{\,Tr}_{\mathbb{Q}[\omega]/\mathbb{Q}} \Biggl({Ax^3+ Bx\over c}\Biggr)\Biggr\}. \] Under certain conditions on \(A\) and \(B\) (including in particular that \(B\neq 0\)) it is shown that \[ \sum_{N(c)\leq X,c\equiv 1\pmod 3} {T(A,B,c)\over N(c)}= \kappa(A) X^{1/3}+ O(X^{1/4+\varepsilon}) \] for any \(\varepsilon> 0\). The constant \(\kappa(A)\), which is explicitly given, is usually zero. Indeed the full result, which is too involved to state here, allows one to insert a Dirichlet character \(\chi(c)\) into the sum, and to restrict attention to moduli \(c\) divisible by a fixed value \(D\). When \(B=0\) the behaviour is slightly different, and one has results in which there is an additional leading term \(\kappa' X^{1/3}\log X\). The proofs go via the corresponding averages of twisted Kloosterman sums, where the twist is by a cubic character. These are handled via cubic metaplectic forms as in the second author's work [J. Reine Angew. Math. 296, 125--161 (1977; Zbl 0358.10011)]. However, the authors find it convenient to use a method of \textit{D. Goldfeld} and \textit{P. Sarnak} [Invent. Math. 71, 243--250 (1983; Zbl 0507.10029)] which is more direct than previous approaches.