Sur un théorème de Mertens. (On a theorem of Mertens) (Q1849392)

Let \(V(L;q,a)= \sum_{\substack{ l\equiv a\pmod q\\ l\leq L}} \Lambda(l)l^{-1}\) where \(\Lambda\) denotes the von Mangoldt function and \(a\) is coprime to \(q\). As a corollary to his main theorem on estimating on average a certain sum over primitive characters \((\operatorname {mod}q)\) (which we do not state in detail here), the author improves on the asymptotic formula for \(V(L;q,a)\) established by \textit{F. Mertens} in 1874 [Math. Ann. 78, 46-63 (1874; JFM 06.0116.01)] by deducing that \[ V(L;q,a)= \frac{\log L}{\varphi(q)}+ C(q,a)+ O\Biggl( \frac{\sqrt{q} \log^3q}{\varphi(q)}\Biggr), \tag \(*\) \] where \(C(q,a)\) is given explicitly. A similar result, when the congruence condition on \(l\) is replaced by an exponential function in the summand, also follows. Another corollary shows that on average the error term in \((*)\) is \(O(q^{-1} \log^3q)\). For those integers \(q\) listed in [Math. Comput. 65, 397-425 (1996; Zbl 0856.11042)] by \textit{O. Ramaré} and \textit{R. Rumely} some numerical bounds for \[ \max_{1\leq L\leq 10^5} \max_{\substack{ a\pmod q\\ (a,q)=1}} \sqrt{L} \biggl|V(L;q,a)- \frac{\log L}{\varphi(q)}- C(q,a)\biggr| \] and related expressions are derived. The proofs of the main theorems are intricate and complicated, and employ various techniques and results from prime number theory.