Average distributions and products of special values of L-series (Q4811204)

For an elliptic curve \(E\) let \(a_p(E)\) be the trace of the Frobenius endomorphism on \(E_p\). Given an integer \(r\) and elliptic curves \(E_1,\dots, E_n\) let \[ \pi^r_{E_1,\dots, E_n}(x)= \{p\leq x: a_p(E_1)=\cdots= a_p(E_n)= r\}. \] The Lang-Trotter conjecture predicts that \(\pi^r_E(x)\sim C_{E,r}{x^{1/2}\over\log x}\) and that \[ \pi^r_{E_1,E_2}(x)\sim C_{E_1,E_2,r}\log\log x;\tag{\(*\)} \] for \(E_1\neq E_2\). The first of these was proved on average, over all elliptic curves, by \textit{E. Fouvry} and \textit{M. R. Murty} [Can. J. Math. 48, No. 1, 81--104 (1996; Zbl 0864.11030)] for \(r= 0\), and by \textit{C. David} and \textit{F. Pappalardi} [Int. Math. Res. Not. 1999, No. 4, 165--183 (1999; Zbl 0934.11033)] for general \(r\). The present paper considers the case \(n= 2\). Let \(r\) be an odd integer (the alternative case can also be dealt with) and let \(A,B\geq x^{1+\varepsilon}\). Let \(E_1\), \(E_2\) run over all curves \(y^2= x^3+ ax+ b\) with \(|a|\leq A\) and \(|b|\leq B\). Then \((*)\) holds on average in this family, with an explicitly given average constant \(C_r\). By Deuring's theorem the problem is reduced to one about averages of products of class numbers, and hence to sums of products of Dirichlet \(L\)-functions at \(s= 1\). The evaluation of this distinctly complicated mean value takes up the bulk of the paper.