On Wigert's type divisor problem (Q2079557)

Similar to the famous Dirichlet divisor problem, the Wigert's type divisor problem deals with the error term \(\Delta_{(k)} (x)\) in the asymptotic formula \[ \sum_{n \leqslant x} \tau_{(k)} (n) = \tfrac{1}{k} x \log x + \left( \gamma - \tfrac{1}{k} \right) x + \Delta_{(k)} (x), \] where \(\tau_{(k)} (n)\) is the restricted divisor function given by \[ \tau_{(k)} (n) := \sum_{\substack{d \mid n \\ d \leqslant n^{1/k}}} 1 \] and \(k \geqslant 2\) is any fixed integer. \textit{S. Wigert} [Ark. Mat. Astron. Fys. 19, No. 8, 13 p. (1925; JFM 51.0268.02)] showed that \(\Delta_{(k)} (x) \ll x^{1-1/k}\). In the paper under review, the authors improve Wigert's result by proving the following estimate: \[ \Delta_{(k)} (x) = - x^{1-1/k} \sum_{j=1}^{k-1} \mathcal{B}_{j,k} \left( x^{1/k}\right) + \delta_k(x) \] with \[ \delta_k(x) := - \sum_{d \leqslant x^{1/k}} \psi(x/d) + O_k(1) \] and where \(\psi(x) := x- \lfloor x \rfloor - \frac{1}{2}\) is the usual first Bernoulli function, and \(\mathcal{B}_{j,k} (t)\) is a quite complicated function depending essentially on \(k\) and linear combinations of Bernoulli numbers and fractional parts \(\{t\}^{j-1-h}\) for \(0 \leqslant h \leqslant j-1\) and \(1 \leqslant j \leqslant k-1\). The use of an exponent pair \((\kappa , \lambda)\) then yields \[ \Delta_{(k)} (x) = - x^{1-1/k} \sum_{j=1}^{k-1} \mathcal{B}_{j,k} \left( x^{1/k}\right) + O_k \left( x^{\frac{\kappa + k^{-1} (\lambda - \kappa)}{1+\kappa}} \right). \] In the second part of this work, the authors establish asymptotic formulas for the moments \[ \int_1^T \delta_k^{\, j} (x) \, \mathrm{d}x \] with \(j \in \{1,2\}\). It should be mentioned that in the case \(j=2\), the following estimate due to \textit{I. S. Gál} [Nieuw Arch. Wiskd., II. Ser. 23, 13--38 (1949; Zbl 0031.25601)] \[ \sum_{a,b \leqslant N} \frac{\left( n_a,n_b\right)^2}{n_a n_b} \ll N (\log \log N)^2 \] plays a key part in the proof.