On Cochrane sums over short intervals (Q1025028)

\textit{W. Zhang} [Int. J. Math. Math. Sci. 32, No. 1, 47--55 (2002; Zbl 1107.11310)] gave an asymptotic formula for the mean square value of Cochrane sums \(C(h,k)\). This paper provides a corresponding result for sums over short intervals when \(k\) is squarefree. In particular, when \(k\) is an odd prime \(p\), the formula takes the form \[ \sum_{h \leq\delta p}C^2(h,p)=\frac {5\delta}{144}p^2+O(p^{\frac 32+\varepsilon}), \] where \(0<\delta <1\), and the constant implied by \(O\) depends only on \(\varepsilon\).