On sums of two coprime \(k\)-th powers. II (Q2458469)

Let for a fixed integer \(k\geq 3\) the arithmetic function \(\rho_k(n)\) denote the number of representations of \(n\) in the form \(n= |m_1|^k+|m_2|^k\), where \(\gcd(m_1,m_2)= 1\). In the asymptotic formula \[ R_k(x)= \sum_{n\leq x}\rho_k(n)= c_k x^{2/k}+ E_k(x), \] the remainder can be estimated by \(E_k(x)\ll x^{1/k}\), which can not be improved substantially, since the problem is closely connected with the zeros of the Riemann zeta-function. Therefore the authors estimate the remainder assuming the truth of the Riemann hypothesis (RH). Let \(\theta_k\) denote the smallest \(\alpha_k\) such that \(E_k(x)\ll x^{\alpha_k+\varepsilon}\). The reviewer showed that (under RH) \[ \theta_k\leq {1\over k}-{1\over k(3k+ 2)}, \] which is based on a paper of B. Z. Moroz. Improvements were given by W. G. Nowak, W. Müller and W. G. Nowak, W. Zhai. In this paper the authors prove the new estimates \(\theta_3\leq 331/1254\) and \(\theta_4\leq 37/184\), where the proofs are based on a method of O. Robert and P. Sargos applying exponential sums with monomials. A short interval result is also obtained. Part I, cf. Monatsh. Math. 144, No. 3, 233--250 (2005; Zbl 1089.11053). Added by editor: Recently, R. C. Baker has published a paper on this topic to Acta Arith 129, No. 2, 103--146 (2007; Zbl 1136.11065), with \(\alpha_3 = 32/123\) which is stronger than the result in the present paper, since \(32/123 = 0.2601\ldots.\)