On the sum of \(\Delta_k(n)\) in the Piltz divisor problem for \(k=3\) and \(k=4\) (Q7030677)

Let \(k\) be a positive integer and \(\Delta_k(x)\) be the error term in the Dirichlet-Piltz divisor problem, i.e., \[\Delta_k(x) := \sum_{n \leqslant x} \tau_k(n) - x P_{k}(\log x),\] where \(\tau_k\) is the \(k\)th Dirichlet-Piltz divisor function and \(P_k\) is a polynomial of degree \(k-1\) and leading coefficient \(\frac{1}{(k-1)!}\). The article under review deals with the sum \N\[\NS_k(x) := \sum_{n \leqslant x} \Delta_k(n)\N\]\Nin the cases \(k=3\) and \(k=4\). The authors prove asymptotic formulas for these sums, from which they deduce the bounds \(S_3(x) \ll x (\log x)^3 \) and \(S_4(x) \ll x^{7/6+\varepsilon}\). In fact, the authors also show how the theory of exponent pairs and results on exponential sums, such as Vinogradov's techniques, could be used to improve these results. The proof rests on several steps: firstly, the authors first study the Dirichlet series \(L(s,\Delta_k) := \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \Delta_k(n) n^{-s}\) attached to \(\Delta_k\), proving that it can be continued to the whole plane as a meromorphic function with poles at \(s=1\), \(0\), \(-1, \dotsc\). Next, they apply Perron's summation formula to derive the above mentioned asymptotic results. Finally, the authors also prove upper bounds for the mean values \(\displaystyle \int_1^x \Delta_k(t) \, \mathrm{d}t\) for \(k \in \{3,4 \}\).