Congruences and rational exponential sums with the Euler function (Q2477893)

The authors study the exponential sum \[ S(a/q)=\sum_{n\leq x}e(a\varphi(n)/q) \] for \(a\) prime to \(q\) and \(q\) larger than \(\exp((\log\log x)^{2/\delta})\) for a suitable positive \(\delta\). They show that \[ S(a/q)/x\ll v^{-2v/5} + \exp(-(\log 2)(\log q)^\delta) \] with \(v=(\log x)/\log q\). The proof relies on a decomposition of the set of integers into four subsets. The authors thus reduce the problem to the same one but when \(n\) ranges the integers of the shape \(p m^2\) where \(p\) is somewhat large, no prime factors of \(m\) is larger than \(p\) and \(m\) does not have too many prime factors. The result then follows from an estimation of the exponential sum over \(p\) and from an estimation of the number of \(m\)'s involved and such that \(q|\varphi(m)\). This latter estimate also enables them to bound the number \(T(x;q)\) of integers \(n\leq x\) such that \(q|\varphi(n)\). They prove namely that \[ T(x;q) \ll x\exp(-(\log 2)(\log q)^\delta) \] under the same size condition on \(q\). This paper is well-written and follows [Fields Inst. Commun. 41, 49--59 (2004; Zbl 1110.11032)] where a stronger bound for \(S(a/q)\) is obtained when \(q\) is a prime number.