On the mean value formula of Dedekind sums (Q1292803)

\textit{J. B. Conrey} et al. [J. Number Theory 56, 214-226 (1996; Zbl 0851.11028)] gave an asymptotic formula for sums of even powers of Dedekind sums \(\sum^k_{h=1}|s(h,k)|^{2m}\) taken over those \(h\) relatively prime to \(k\). [See Conrey et al. for the definition of \(s(h,k)\).] The formula was sharpened for \(m=1\) and \(k\) a prime power by \textit{W. P. Zhang} [J. Théor. Nombres Bordx. 8, 429-442 (1996; Zbl 0871.11033)], who also discussed the sum with \(|s(h,k)|^2\) replaced by \(s(h,k)/h\). This paper treats the more general summand \(s(h,k)^m/h\) for integers \(m\geq 1\) and \(k\geq 3\). The proof expresses \(s(h,k)\) as sums of \(L\) functions \(|L(1,\chi)|\) corresponding to Dirichlet characters \(\chi\) modulo divisors of \(k\).