On a question of A. Schinzel: Omega estimates for a special type of arithmetic functions (Q1939367)

The authors consider a class of arithmetic functions \(f_H\) that have a generating Dirichlet series \[ F_H(x)= \sum^\infty_{n=1} f_H(n) n^{-s}= \zeta^2(s)\zeta(2s- 1)\zeta^M(2s)\,H(s) \] for \(\text{Re}\,s> 1\), where \(M\) is an integer and \(H(s)\) has an Euler product converging absolutely in \(\text{Re\,}s> a_0\) for an arbitrary but fixed \(a_0<{1\over 2}\). Let \(R_{f_H}(x)\) denote the error term of \(\sum_{n\leq x} f_H(n)\), the main term being the residue at \(s=1\) of \(F_h(s){x^s\over s}\). In [Cent. Eur. J. Math. 10, No. 2, 761--774 (2012; Zbl 1285.11120)] \textit{E. Krätzel}, the second author and \textit{L. Tóth} established that \(R_{f_H}(x)= O(x^{547/832}(\log x)^{26947/8320})\). In this paper the goal is to answer a question of A. Schinzel by proving that \[ |R_{f_H}(x)|= \Omega\Biggl({\sqrt{x}\log^2 x\over (\log\log x)^{|M+1|}}\Biggr). \] The authors give several examples of functions in the class studied. The general result follows from the special case when \(H(s)= 1\) identically. The crucial step in the proof is establishing by analytical arguments in their Proposition 2 a lower bound for \[ \int^\infty_T|R_{f_1}(u)|^2 u^{-2} e^{-uT^{-B}}\,du \] for some \(B> 0\).