On some mean values for the divisor function and the Riemann zeta-function (Q2362401)

Let \(d(n)\) denote the divisor function, \(\zeta(s)\) the Riemann zeta function and the error terms \(\Delta(x)\), \(E(x)\) be given by \[ \Delta(x)= \sum_{n\leq x} d(n)- x\log x-(2\gamma-1)x, \] \[ E(x)= \int^x_0\left|\zeta\left(\tfrac12+ it\right)\right|^2\,dt- x\log\tfrac{x}{2\pi}- (2\gamma-1)x. \] In the last century and since, various properties of these error terms have been investigated, such as upper bound estimates, mean values, \(\Omega\)-results and sign changes. It has been known since before 1950 that the dominant term in the expression for each of these error terms is a sum involving \(d(n)\) but for \(E(x)\) there is an extra factor \((-1)^n\). However this is not reflected in the results so far established. Rather than comparing \(E(x)\) with \(\Delta(x)\), \textit{M. Jutila} [Colloq. Math. Soc. János Bolyai 34, 807--823 (1984; Zbl 0549.10029)] investigated comparing \(E(x)\) with \(\Delta^*(x)= -\Delta(x)+ 2\Delta(2x)-{1\over 2}\Delta(4x)\) and established that \[ \int^X_0 \left(E(x)- 2\pi\Delta^*\left(\tfrac{x}{2\pi}\right)\right)^2 dx\ll X^{4/3}\log^3 X. \] The aim of this paper is to evaluate certain integrals some of which yield a distinction between the signs obtained for the integrals involving \(\Delta(x)\) and \(E(x)\). For \(F(x)= \Delta(x),\Delta^*(x),E(x)\) and \(\alpha\in\mathbb{R}\), the authors establish the following results: \[ \int^{2X}_X F(\alpha x)F(x)\,dx= C_F(\alpha)X^{3/2}+ O_\eta(X^{{3\over 2}-\eta}) \tag{1} \] as \(X\to \infty\) for rational \(\alpha\) and some \(\eta>0\), where each \(C_F(\alpha)> 0\). \[ \int^{2X}_X F(\alpha x) F^2(x)\,dx= D_F(\alpha) X^{7/4}+ O_{\eta'}(X^{{7\over 4}-\eta'}) \tag{2} \] as \(X\to \infty\) for \(\sqrt{\alpha c}= \sqrt{a}\pm\sqrt{b}\) with \(a,b,c\in\mathbb{N}\) and \((a,b,c)= 1\), where \(\eta'>0\) and \(D_\Delta(\alpha)> 0\) but the signs of \(D_{\Delta^*}(\alpha)\) and \(D_E(\alpha)\) depend on the structure of \(\alpha\). The proofs depend on obtaining the dominant term for these integrals as sums involving products of divisor functions, and for (2) investigating various structures of \(\sqrt{\alpha}={1\over \sqrt{c}} (\sqrt{a}\pm\sqrt{b})\) in order to determine some \(\alpha\) for which \(D_E(\alpha)< 0\) as well as \(\alpha\) with \(D_E(\alpha)> 0\).