The fourth moment of quadratic Dirichlet \(L\)-functions over function fields (Q2364139)

Let \(q\) be a prime number with \(q\equiv 1\) \(\pmod{4}\). For a polynomial \(D\in \mathbb{F}_q[x]\), define the \(L\)-function associated to the quadratic character \(\chi_D\) by \[ L(s,\chi_D) =\sum_{\substack{f\in\mathbb{F}_q[x]\\ \text{monic}}}\frac{\chi_D(f)}{|f|^s} =\prod_{\substack{P\in\mathbb{F}_q[x] \\ \text{monic irreducible}}}\left(1-\chi_D(P)|P|^{-s}\right)^{-1}, \] where \(|f|=q^{\mathrm{deg}(f)}\) for \(f\in\mathbb{F}_q[x]\). In this paper, as a function field analogue of the study of the moments of quadratic Dirichlet \(L\)-functions, the author investigates the asymptotic formula for \[ \sum_{D\in\mathcal{H}_{2g+1}}L\left(\frac{1}{2},\chi_D\right)^k \] as \(g\to\infty\) (and \(q\) fixed). Here, \(\mathcal{H}_{2g+1}\) denotes the set of all square-free monic polynomials of degree \(2g+1\). It was conjectured by \textit{J. C. Andrade} and \textit{J. P. Keating} in [J. Number Theory 142, 102--148 (2014; Zbl 1318.11083)] that \[ \sum_{D\in\mathcal{H}_{2g+1}}L\left(\frac{1}{2},\chi_D\right)^k =q^{2g+1}\left(P_k(2g+1)+o(1)\right) \] holds with some polynomial \(P_k\) of degree \(\frac{k(k+1)}{2}\). This is true when \(k=1\) by \textit{J. C. Andrade} and \textit{J. P. Keating} [J. Number Theory 132, No. 12, 2793--2816 (2012; Zbl 1278.11082)] and when \(k=2,3\) by the author [Forum Math. 29, No. 4, 873--892 (2017; Zbl 1429.11152)]. The main result of this paper is to obtain the following asymptotic formula for the fourth moment of \(L(\frac{1}{2},\chi_D)\), which actually agrees with the above conjecture; \[ \sum_{D\in\mathcal{H}_{2g+1}}L(\frac{1}{2},\chi_D)^4 =q^{2g+1}(a_{10}g^{10}+a_9 g^{9}+a_8 g^{8})+O(q^{2g+1}g^{7+\frac{1}{2}+\epsilon}). \] Here, the coefficients \(a_{10},a_{9},a_{8}\) can be written down explicitly.