The third moment of quadratic Dirichlet \(L\)-functions (Q1950451)

The author studies the third moment of quadratic Dirichlet \(L\)-functions, in a long interval around \(X\), with \(\chi_d\) the primitive quadratic Dirichlet character, namely (see Theorem 1.1) \[ {{\sum_d}^{*}} L(1/2,\chi_{8d})^3 F(d) = {{\sum_d}^{*}} P(\log d)F(d)+O(X^{3/4+\varepsilon}), \] where, as usual, \(F\) is a smooth function (say, the \(j\)-th derivative satisfies \(F^{(j)}\ll_j X^{-j}\)) supported in \([X/2,3X]\) and the summation is over odd and square-free integers \(d\); here \(P(x)\) is a polynomial of degree six. The author adapts his techniques for the first moment [Acta Arith. 138, No. 1, 73--99 (2009; Zbl 1209.11080)], instead of third above, and in this way he improves recent results of \textit{A. Diaconu} et al. [Compos. Math. 139, No. 3, 297--360 (2003; Zbl 1053.11071)], that in turn refined the first asymptotic formula, due to \textit{K. Soundararajan} [Ann. Math. (2) 152, No. 2, 447--488 (2000; Zbl 0964.11034)]. The technicalities are somewhere overwhelming, but the analysis of all terms appearing in the Lemmas, for the proof of the Theorem, is clearly exposed. Here, just to give an idea of the analytic number theory involved, we consider functional equations, approximate functional equations and Poisson summations; these, in turn, are the main ingredient that successfully manage the square-free condition in the summation, like in the author's quoted paper (as the author points out, the idea is the same).