On the distribution of square-full numbers in arithmetic progressions (Q359616): Difference between revisions

A square-full positive integer \(n\) satisfies \(p^2|n\) whenever the prime \(p|n\). Let \(Q(x)= \sum_{n\leq x}\alpha(n)\), where \(\alpha(n)=1\) or \(0\) according as \(n\) is square-full or not. Various the authors have investigated this sum and the best known unconditional result is \[ Q(x)={\zeta(3/2)\over\zeta(3)} x^{1/2}+ {\zeta(2/3)\over \zeta(2)} x^{1/3}+ o(x^{1/6}) \] proved by \textit{P. T. Bateman} and \textit{E. Grosswald} [Ill. J. Math. 2, 88--98 (1958; Zbl 0079.07104)]. The object of the paper under review is to study the sum \(\sum_{\substack{ n\leq x\\ n\equiv a\pmod q}}\alpha(n)\), where \((a,q)= 1\), \(q>2\). For general \(q\) the authors obtain an asymptotic formula of the form \(A_qx^{1/2}+ O(q^{{49\over 141}+\varepsilon} x^{{19\over 47}+\varepsilon})\), where \(\varepsilon>0\) and \(A_q\) is given explicitly in terms of \(q\) and various values of the Riemann zeta function \(\zeta(s)\) and a Dirichlet \(L\)-function \(L(s,\chi_2)\) associated with a quadratic character \(\chi_2\) modulo \(q\). When \(q\) is replaced by a prime \(p\) a stronger result is derived with an additional term in \(x^{1/3}\) multiplied by an expression involving values of \(\zeta(s)\) and the functions \(L(s,\chi_3)\), \(L(s,\chi^2_3)\) associated with a cubic character \(\chi_3\) modulo \(p\), and a better error term. The proof is analytic and depends on various well-known estimates and integrals involving \(\zeta(s)\) and \(L(s,\chi)\).