Square-root cancellation for sums of factorization functions over squarefree progressions in \(\mathbb{F}_q[t]\) (Q7028449)

This paper considers arithmetic functions over the polynomial ring \(\mathbb{F}_q[t]\), where \(q\) is a fixed prime power. Let \(\mathcal{M}_n\) be the set of monic polynomials in \(\mathbb{F}_q[t]\) of degree \(n\). Then for any \(\theta\in(0,1)\) and any\N\[\Nq>e^2\frac{(1+\theta)^2}{(1-\theta)^2}\N\]\Nthere is a corresponding \(\delta=\delta(\theta,q)>0\) such that\N\[\N\sum_{\substack{f\in\mathcal{M}_n \\\Nf\equiv a(\mathrm{mod}\; g)}} \mu(f)=O_{q,\theta}\left((q^{n-\mathrm{deg}(g)})^{1-\delta}\right),\N\]\Nfor all square-free \(g\) of degree at most \(\theta n\), uniformly over polynomials \(a\) coprime to \(g\). Thus we get a level of distribution \(\theta>1/2\) for any fixed \(q>29\), and we can take any \(\theta<1\), provided \(q\) is a sufficiently large fixed prime-power. One can take\N\[\N\delta=\frac{1}{2}-\frac{1+\log\{(1+\theta)/(1-\theta)\}}{\log q},\N\]\Nwhich tends to \(\tfrac12\) as \(q\to\infty\), for fixed \(\theta\). A previous result of this type, due to \textit{W. Sawin} and \textit{M. Shusterman} [Ann. Math. (2) 196, No. 2, 457--506 (2022; Zbl 1499.14038)], did not require \(g\) to be square-free, but needed \(q=p^r\) with \(r\ge 3\) to be useful.\N\NThere are similar results where the Möbius function is replaced by the function field von Mangoldt function, or by the generalized divisor function \(d_k(f)\). These contain a main term and an error term \(O_{q,\theta}\left((q^{n-\mathrm{deg}(g)})^{1-\delta}\right)\) as above. However the condition on \(q\) is slightly different for these.\N\NThe proof sharpens the methods of Sawin and Shusterman [loc. cit.] in several different ways, and similarly builds on the author's earlier work [Duke Math. J. 170, No. 5, 997--1026 (2021; Zbl 1506.11151)]. One key input is the strong bound for Betti numbers given by the author [Invent. Math. 224, No. 1, 1--32 (2021; Zbl 1472.14019)].