The mean number of solutions of certain congruences (Q5941891)

Let \(\rho(n)\) denote the number of solutions of the congruence \(f(X)\equiv 0\pmod n\), where \(f(X)\) is an irreducible integral polynomial. \textit{P. Erdős} [J. Lond. Math. Soc. 27, 7-15 (1952; Zbl 0046.04103)] proved that, for primes \(p\), \[ \sum_{p\leq x}\rho(p)=x/\log x+O(x/\log^2x), \quad \sum_{p\leq x}\rho(p)/p=\log\log x+c(f)+o(1) \] and that \(\sum_{n\leq x}\rho(n)\gg x\). From a general theorem of \textit{R. W. K. Odoni} [J. Lond. Math. Soc. (2) 44, 203-217 (1991; Zbl 0757.11014)] on the asymptotic formula for multiplicative functions, it follows that \(\sum_{n\leq x}\rho(n)=C(f)x+O(x/(\log x)^{1/2-\varepsilon})\), for any \(\varepsilon>0\). The author considers polynomials \(f(X)\) with an Abelian Galois group and for which the Dirichlet series \(\sum\rho(n)n^{-s}\) can be analytically continued to the left of the line \(\text{Re} s=1\) to a meromorphic function. He shows that, for such polynomials, the error term for the mean value of \(\rho(n)\) can be reduced to \(O(x\exp(-B(\log x)^\beta))\) for some \(B>0\) and any \(\beta<3/5\), and further reduced to \(O(x^{1/2+\varepsilon})\) if the Riemann hypothesis for \(L(s,\chi)\) is true. For non-Abelian polynomials, a similar result may be obtained only in few cases, and the author deals with the case when \(f(X)\) is an irreducible cubic such that its splitting field \(K\) is a Galois extension of Q, with \(G=\text{Gal}(K/Q)\cong S_3\) containing an imaginary quadratic field.