The first moment of cubic exponential sums. (Q1608566)

The goal of this paper is to examine the average of certain cubic exponential sums as the modulus varies. However the method handles sums defined over \(\mathbb{Z}[\omega]\), where \(\omega= (-1+\sqrt{-3})/2\), rather than sums over \(\mathbb{Z}\). For \(A,B,c\in\mathbb{Z}[\omega]\) with \(c\neq 0\), set \[ T(A,B,c)= \sum_{x\pmod c} \exp\Biggl\{2\pi i\text{\,Tr}_{\mathbb{Q}[\omega]/\mathbb{Q}} \Biggl({Ax^3+ Bx\over c}\Biggr)\Biggr\}. \] Under certain conditions on \(A\) and \(B\) (including in particular that \(B\neq 0\)) it is shown that \[ \sum_{N(c)\leq X,c\equiv 1\pmod 3} {T(A,B,c)\over N(c)}= \kappa(A) X^{1/3}+ O(X^{1/4+\varepsilon}) \] for any \(\varepsilon> 0\). The constant \(\kappa(A)\), which is explicitly given, is usually zero. Indeed the full result, which is too involved to state here, allows one to insert a Dirichlet character \(\chi(c)\) into the sum, and to restrict attention to moduli \(c\) divisible by a fixed value \(D\). When \(B=0\) the behaviour is slightly different, and one has results in which there is an additional leading term \(\kappa' X^{1/3}\log X\). The proofs go via the corresponding averages of twisted Kloosterman sums, where the twist is by a cubic character. These are handled via cubic metaplectic forms as in the second author's work [J. Reine Angew. Math. 296, 125--161 (1977; Zbl 0358.10011)]. However, the authors find it convenient to use a method of \textit{D. Goldfeld} and \textit{P. Sarnak} [Invent. Math. 71, 243--250 (1983; Zbl 0507.10029)] which is more direct than previous approaches.