Correlation of arithmetic functions over \(\mathbb{F}_q[T]\) (Q2308325)

Let \({\mathbb F}_q[T]\) be the ring of polynomials of one variable and let \(\Delta\in {\mathbb F}_q[T]\setminus\{0\}\). One of the objectives of this paper is the study of the number of polynomials \(f\) of degree \(n\) such that both \(f\) and \(f+\Delta\) are both irreducible, which is an analogue of the twin primes problem. The authors obtain, as \(q\to\infty\), a lower-order term of this number considering non-monic polynomials, which depends on \(\Delta\) in a manner which is consistent with the Hardy-Littlewood Conjecture (Section 5.4). The Hardy-Littlewood Conjecture predicts for any even, non-zero integer \(\Delta\), the limit \(\frac{\sum_{n\leq x} \Lambda(n)\Lambda(n+\Delta)}{x}\) as \(x\to \infty\). For function fields, the same heuristics suggest the limit \(\frac{\sum_{f\in{\mathcal M}_{n,q}}\Lambda_q(f)\Lambda_q(f+\Delta)}{q^n}\) as \(q^n\to \infty\), where \(q>2\), \({\mathcal A}_{n,q}\) is the set of polynomials of degree \(n\) in \({\mathbb F}_q[T]\), \({\mathcal M}_{n,q}\subseteq {\mathcal A}_{n,q}\) is the set of monic polynomials of degree \(n\), \({\mathcal A}_q=\bigcup_{n\geq 0}{\mathcal A}_{n,q}={\mathbb F}_q[T]\setminus\{0\}\), \(\Delta \in {\mathcal A}_q\) and \(\Lambda_q\) is the function field von Mangoldt function. The authors find, Theorem 1, for \(n\geq 5\), \(\frac{\sum_{f\in{\mathcal A}_{n,q}}\Lambda_q(f)\Lambda_q(f+\Delta)}{q^n(q-1)}-1\) for \(\Delta\) a square-free polynomial in \({\mathcal A}_q\) which is either of degree \(\leq n-5\) or of degree \(n-1\). It is also established \(\frac{\sum_{f\in{\mathcal M}_{n,q}} \Lambda_q(f)\Lambda_q(f+\Delta)}{q^n}-1\) for \(\Delta \in {\mathbb F}_q^*\) and \(n\geq 4\). Similar results (Theorem 2) are established for the function field Möbius function \(\mu_q\). Theorems 1 and 2 provide quantitative information about pairs of primes in \({\mathbb F}_q[T]\) whose difference is \(\Delta\) and give information on the number of polynomials \(f\) of degree \(n\) such that \(f\) and \(f+\Delta\) are both irreducible. These theorems are consequence of the main results of the article: Theorems 3 and 4 that are a determination of the main term of covariances of some arithmetic functions on \({\mathbb F}_q[T]\). The proofs of Theorems 3 and 4 are given in Sections 3 and 4 respectively. The proofs of Theorems 1 and 2 follow immediately and are given in Section 5 as well as a discussion on the consistency of Theorem 1 with the Hardy-Littlewood Conjecture.