On the equation \(n_{1}n_{2}=n_{3}n_{4}\) and mean value of character sums (Q2469221)

For \(x\geq 1\) let \(N(x)\) denote the number of solutions of the equation \(n_1n_2=n_3n_4\) with \(1\leq n_i\leq x\). In the paper under review, the author obtains the estimate \[ N(x)=\frac{12}{\pi^2}x^2\log x+Cx^2+O(x^{547/416+\varepsilon}) \] for some explicit constant \(C\) and any \(\varepsilon>0\). As an application, he shows that \[ \frac1{p-1}\sum_{\chi\neq\chi_0}\left| \sum_{n=1}^x\chi(n)\right| ^4 =\frac{12}{\pi^2}x^2\log x+\left(C-\frac{x^2}p\right)x^2 +O(x^{547/416+\varepsilon}), \] where the outer sum runs over all non-principal Dirichlet characters \(\chi\) modulo a prime \(p\) with \(x\leq\sqrt p\). This improves earlier results of \textit{A. Ayyad, T. Cochrane}, and \textit{Z. Y. Zheng} [J. Number Theory 59, 398--413 (1996; Zbl 0869.11003)].