Averaging the sum of digits function to an even base (Q4024664)

Let \(k=\sum_{r=0}^ \infty a_ r(q,k)q^ r\), where \(a_ r(q,k)\in \{0,1,2,\dots,q-1\}\) be the representation of the positive integer \(k\) in scale \(q\geq 2\). Let \(\alpha(q,k)= \sum_{r=0}^ \infty a_ r(q,k)\) denote the sum of digits of \(k\) and let \(A(q,n)= \sum_{k=1}^{n-1} \alpha(q,k)\), for \(n>1\). It is well known that \(A(q,n)\sim {1\over 2}((q- 1)/\log q)n\log n\), as \(n\to\infty\). For even values of \(q\), a lower bound is given in the present paper for \[ A(q,n)- \textstyle{1\over 2} (q-1)[\log n/\log q]n, \] where \([x]\) denotes the integer part of \(x\), complementing an earlier result for odd \(q\) of the same author [Proc. Edinb. Math. Soc. 34, 121-142 (1991; Zbl 0717.11008)].