On the distribution of the order and index of \(g\) (mod \(p\)) over residue classes. I (Q2569015)

Let \(g\) be a rational number with \(g\notin \{-1,0,1\}\). For a prime \(p\), let \(\nu_p(g)\) denote the exponent of \(p\) in the canonical factorization of \(g\). If \(\nu_p(g)=0\), then define the order of \(g\pmod p\) to be the least integer \(k\) such that \(g^k \equiv 1 \pmod p\), and write \(\text{ord}_g(p)=k\). This is the first in a series of papers on the distribution of the index in residue classes mod \(d\). In this paper, the author concentrates on the the special cases \(d=4\) and \(d=3\). Let \(N_g(a_1,d_1;a_2,d_2)\) denote the number of primes \(p\leq x\) such that \(\nu_p(g)=0\), \(p\equiv a_1 \pmod d_1\) and \(\text{ord}_g(p) \equiv a_2 \pmod d_2\). For primes \(p\equiv 1 \pmod 2^s\), the author proves asymptotic estimates of the form \(N_g(1,2^2;j,4)(x)\sim \delta_g(1,2^s;j,4) \text{Li}(x)\) when \(j=0\) or \(2\). The constants \(\delta_g(1,2^2;j,4)\) are given explicitly in terms of infinite sums involving degrees of extension of certain algebraic number fields; the precise formulas are too elaborate to reproduce here. He also proves similar formulas for the cases \(j=1\) and \(j=3\), but the proofs in these instances are conditional on GRH. For primes \(p\equiv 3 \pmod 4\), one has \(N_g(3,4;0,4(x)=0\) and \(N_g(3,4;2,4)(x) = \#\{p\leq x: p\equiv 3 \pmod 4, (g/p)=-1\}\). The author also gives asymptotic formulas for \(N_g(3,4;j,4)(x)\) when \(j\) is odd; these proofs also require the assumption of GRH. These results for \(d=4\) generalize earlier work of \textit{L. Chinen} and \textit{K. Murata} [J. Number Theory 105, 82--100 (2004; Zbl 1045.11067)]. The author derives similar density results in the case \(d=3\), a case that has not been considered before. Finally, there is an appendix that gives results of numerical experiments on these densities for selected values of \(g\).