Average values of \(L\)-series for real characters in function fields (Q335069)

The authors establish asymptotic formulae for the first and second moments of quadratic Dirichlet \(L\)-functions, at \(s=1/2\), associated to the real quadratic function field \(k(\sqrt{P})\) and to the inert imaginary quadratic function field \(k(\sqrt{\gamma P})\) with \(P\) being a monic irreducible polynomial over the finite field \({\mathbb F}_q\) of odd cardinality and where \(\gamma\) is a generator of \({\mathbb F}_q^{\ast}\). When \(q\) is even the task of average \(L\)-functions is much harder. In this paper, the authors establish several mean values results of \(L\)-functions over function fields. It is a classical problem in the number field case the study of \[ \sum_{\substack{ p\leq X\\ p\equiv \nu \bmod 4}} L\left(\tfrac{1}{2}, \chi_p\right), \] where \(X\in{\mathbb R}\), \(X\to \infty\), \(\nu\in\{1,3\}\) and \(\chi_p\) is the quadratic character \(\chi_p(n)=\left(\frac{n}{p} \right)\), the Legendre symbol. It is also important to establish asymptotic formulas for higher moments \[ \sum_{\substack{ p\leq X\\ p\equiv \nu \bmod 4}} L\left(\tfrac{1}{2}, \chi_p\right)^k \] (the \(k\)-th moment). The first aim of this paper is to study the function field analogue of the \(k\)-moment problem in the same spirit of recent results of the first author [Int. J. Number Theory 8, No. 7, 1725--1740 (2012; Zbl 1269.11110)] and of the first author and \textit{J. P. Keating} [J. Number Theory 132, No. 12, 2793--2816 (2012; Zbl 1278.11082); J. Number Theory 142, 102--148 (2014; Zbl 1318.11083); Acta Arith. 161, No. 4, 371--385 (2013; Zbl 1286.11097)] extending their results. The second aim is to find asymptotic formulas for the mean values of quadratic Dirichlet \(L\)-functions over the rational function field at \(s=1\). The authors compute the second moment of quadratic Dirichlet \(L\)-functions associated to monic irreducible polynomials of even degree. The odd case was obtained by the first author and Keating [loc. cit.]. When the cardinality of the field of constants is even, we are in the Artin-Schreier case and to find the average \(L\)-functions is harder than in the odd case (Kummer case). The authors establish several mean values results in the even case. Let \({\mathbb A}={\mathbb F}_q [T]\) be the polynomial ring over \({\mathbb F}_q\) and \(k={\mathbb F}_q (T)\). Let \({\mathbb P}_n\) be the set of monic irreducible polynomials in \({\mathbb A}\) of degree \(n\). The first main result of this paper is Theorem 2.3, where for \(q\) odd the authors find: (1) \(\sum_{{P\in{\mathbb P}_{2g+1}}} L(s,\chi_P)\) for \({\mathbb R}e(s) \geq \frac{1}{2}\) and \(g\to\infty\); (2) \(\sum_{{P\in{\mathbb P}_{2g+2}}} L(s,\chi_P)\) for any \(\varepsilon>0\), \({\mathbb R}e(s)\geq \frac{1}{2}\) and \(|s-1|>\varepsilon\) as \(g\to\infty\). In particular \[ \sum_{{P\in{\mathbb P}_{2g+2}}} L(1,\chi_P)=\zeta_{{\mathbb A}} (2)\frac{|P|}{\log_q|P|}+O\big(|P|^{1/2}(\log_q |P|)\big), \] where \(\zeta_{{\mathbb A}}\) is the Artin zeta function of \({\mathbb A}\) and \(|P|=q^{\deg P}\); (3) for \({\mathbb R}e(s)\geq \frac{1}{2}\), \(\sum_{{P\in{\mathbb P}_{2g+2}}} L(s,\chi_{\gamma P})\) as \(g\to\infty\). As a consequence of Theorem 2.3 it is obtained Theorem 2.9: \[ \sum_{{P\in{\mathbb P}_{2g+1}}} L(1,\chi_P)=\zeta_{\mathbb A} (2)\frac{|P|}{\log_q|P|}+O\big(|P|^{\frac{1}{2}+\varepsilon}\big). \] Similarly for \(\sum_{{P\in{\mathbb P}_{2g+2}}} L(1,\chi_P)\) and \(\sum_{{P\in{\mathbb P}_{2g+2}}} L(s,\chi_{\gamma P})\). For the second moment of \(L\)-functions at \(s=\frac{1}{2}\), the authors find in Theorem 2.6 for \(q\) odd and \(g\to\infty\), \(\sum_{{P\in{\mathbb P}_{2g+2}}} L(\frac{1}{2},\chi_P)^2\) and \(\sum_{{P\in{\mathbb P}_{2g+2}}} L(\frac{1}{2}, \chi_{\gamma P})^2\). Similarly, for \(q\) even the authors find, for \(g\to \infty\), \(\sum_{{u\in{\mathcal H}_{g+1}}} L(s,\chi_u)\), \(\sum_{{P\in{\mathbb P}_{g+1}}} \sum_{u\in{{\mathcal F}_P}} L(s,\chi_u)\) and \(\sum_{{P\in{\mathbb P}_{g+1}}} \sum_{u\in{{\mathcal F}'_P}} L(s,\chi_u)\) (Theorem 2.13), where \(\chi_u\) is the character, on the set of monic polynomials, associated to \(K_u\) where \(K_u=k(x_u)\), \(x_u\) is a solution of \(X^2+X+u=0\), \(u\in k\), \({\mathcal F}_P\) denotes the set of rational functions of negative degree \(u\) whose denominator is \(P\) and \({\mathcal F}'_P:= {\mathcal F}_P+\xi\) with a fix \(\xi\in{\mathbb F}_q\setminus \wp({\mathbb F}_q)\). Finally \({\mathcal H}_{g+1}\) corresponds to the set of ramified imaginary separable quadratic extensions of \(k\) whose finite discriminant is a square of an irreducible polynomial and is of genus \(g\). The other main result is Theorem 2.15 where for \(q\) even and \(g\to\infty\), the second moments of \(L\)-functions at \(s=\frac {1}{2}\) are found: \[ \sum_{{u\in{\mathcal H}_{g+1}}} L(\tfrac{1}{2},\chi_u)^2,\quad \sum_{{P\in{\mathbb P}_{g+1}}} \sum_{u\in{\mathcal F}_P}L(\tfrac{1}{2},\chi_u)^2\quad\text{and } \sum_{{P\in{\mathbb P}_{g+1}}}\sum_{u\in{\mathcal F}_P'} L(\tfrac{1}{2},\chi_u)^2. \]