On the density of irreducible polynomials which generate \(k\)-free polynomials over function fields (Q2066404)

\textit{L. Mirsky} [Am. Math. Mon. 56, 17--19 (1949; Zbl 0033.16203)] proved that every sufficiently large number can be written as a sum of a prime and a \(k\)-free number for any given \(k \geq 2\). In fact, he derived an asymptotic formula for the number of such representations. \textit{W.-C. Yao} [Finite Fields Appl. 7, No. 3, 441--448 (2001; Zbl 0977.11052)] attempted to show that an analogous result holds in the case of function fields over finite fields. In the paper under review, the authors correct an error in Yao's paper and establish the analogue in the function field case. Let \(\mathbb{F}_q\) be the finite field of order \(q\), and let \(M\in \mathbb{F}_q[t]\) be a fixed polynomial. For \(k\geq 2\), a polynomial is \(k\)-free if it is not divisible by the \(k\)th power of any irreducible polynomial. In the paper under review, the authors compute the asymptotic density of irreducible polynomials \(P\) for which \(P +M\) is \(k\)-free. Let \[U_k(M,d)=\{P\,\in \,\mathscr{P}_{+}\mid \deg P = d,\ P+M\text{ is }k\text{-free}\},\] where \(\mathscr{P}_{+}\) denotes the set of all monic irreducible polynomials. \vskip 0.3cm The authors prove the following theorem. \vskip 0.3cm \textbf{Theorem 1} \vskip 0.3cm Let \(M\in \mathbb{F}_q[t]\) be a fixed polynomial, and let \(k\geq 2\) be an integer. If \(d> \deg M\), then \[\#U_k(M,d)=\displaystyle\frac{q^d}{d}\,\prod_{\substack{P\nmid M \\ P\in \mathscr{P}_{+}}}\,\,\Big(1-\displaystyle\frac{1}{|P|^k-|P|^{k-1}}\Big)+ \mathcal{O}\Big(q^{\frac{d}{2}+\frac{d+2(1-k)}{2k}}\Big).\] The main result in the paper is given in Theorem 2, which can be directly obtained from Theorem 1 and the prime number theorem for \(\mathbb{F}_q[t]\). \vskip 0.3cm \textbf{Theorem 2} \vskip 0.3cm Let \(M\in \mathbb{F}_q[t]\) be a fixed polynomial, and let \(k\geq 2\) be an integer. Let \(U_k(M,d)\) be the set defined above. Then we have \[\lim_{d\to \infty}\displaystyle\frac{\#U_k(M,d)}{\#\{P\in\mathscr{P}_{+}\mid \deg P = d\}} = \prod_{\substack{P\nmid\,M \\ P\in \mathscr{P}_{+}}}\,\,\Big(1-\displaystyle\frac{1}{|P|^k-|P|^{k-1}}\Big),\] where \(|P|=q^{\deg P}\).