Une conjecture de Chowla et Walum. (A conjecture of Chowla and Walum) (Q1060241): Difference between revisions

The conjecture of S. Chowla and H. Walum referred to in the title states that, for arbitrary integers \(k\geq 2\) and reals \(a>0\), \[ \sum_{n\leq \sqrt{x}}n^ a B_ k(x/n)=O(x^{a/2+1/4}) \] where \(B_ k( )\) is the periodic Bernoulli function of order k [see \textit{S. Chowla} and \textit{H. Walum}, Norske Vid. Selsk. Forh. 36, 127-134 (1963; Zbl 0135.107)]. This was shown to be true for \(a>\) by \textit{S. Kanemitsu} and \textit{R. Sitaramachandra Rao} [J. Number Theory 20, 255-261 (1985; Zbl 0467.10031)] by a very short and elegant proof involving the Fourier series for \(B_ k( )\) and Van der Corput's method to estimate exponential sums. In the paper under review, the above assertion is established for the special case \(a+1=k\geq 2\) only, by a rather artificial and complicated argument. (For the sharpest result to date on the remaining case \(0\leq a\leq\), see \textit{W. Recknagel} [Arch. Math. 44, 348-354 (1985; Zbl 0556.10032)].)