On certain arithmetic functions involving the greatest common divisor (Q424073)

Define \(f^*(n)= \sum_{m|n} \text{gcd}(m,{n\over m})\) and let \(P^*(n)={1\over n} \sum^n_{k=1} \text{gcd}(k^2, n)\) denote a modified Pillai's function. The aim of this paper is to obtain by different methods an asymptotic formula with a good error term for \(\sum_{n\leq x} f(n)\) when \(f=f^*\), \(P^*\). The Dirichlet series for both functions is of the form \(F(s)G_0(s)\) where \[ F(s)= \zeta^2(s)\zeta(2s-1)= \sum^\infty_{n= 1}a(n)n^{-s} \] for \(\text{Re}(s)>1\) and \(G_0(s)\) is analytic in \(\text{Re}(s)>{1\over 2}\). Using complex integration the authors prove that \[ A(x) := \sum_{n\leq x}a(n)= xP_2(\log x)+ O(x^\theta(\log x)e^{\theta'})\tag{\(*\)} \] where \(P_2\) is a certain quadratic polynomial and \(\theta={2\over 3}\), \(\theta'={16\over 9}\); then a similar formula follows when \(a\) is replaced by \(f^*\) or \(P^*\). For the second approach the dominant error term in \((*)\) is expressed in terms of sums involing the first periodic Bernoulli function \(\psi(x)= x-[x]-{1\over 2}\) which are estimated by applying the method of exponent pairs. This enables the authors to establish \((*)\) with \(\theta= {925\over 1392}\), \(\theta'= 0\) giving a slight improvement of the result above. A further slight improvement is obtained by using Proposition 4 and Theorem 4 in [Proc. Lond. Math. Soc., III. Ser. 87, No. 3, 591--609 (2003; Zbl 1065.11079)] by \textit{M. N. Huxley}. In the last sections the authors discuss more general problems of a similar type and in particular consider the sum \(\sum_{n\leq x} f(n)\) when \[ f(n)= \sum_{d_1d_2d_3= n}\text{gcd}(d_1, d_2, d_3). \]