GCD sums and sum-product estimates

Multiplicative structure; Euclidean algorithm; greatest common divisors (11A05) Distribution modulo one (11J71) Asymptotic results on arithmetic functions (11N37)

Abstract: In this note we prove a new estimate on so-called GCD sums (also called G'{a}l sums), which, for certain coefficients, improves significantly over the general bound due to de la Bret`{e}che and Tenenbaum. We use our estimate to prove new results on the equidistribution of sequences modulo 1, improving over a result of Aistleitner, Larcher, and Lewko on how the metric poissonian property relates to the notion of additive energy. In particular, we show that arbitrary subsets of the squares are metric poissonian.

Review text

Let \(f\colon \mathbb{N} \to \mathbb{C}\) be finitely-supported, and let \(\alpha \in (0,1]\). This article concerns \textit{GCD sums} \[ \sum_{a,b} f(a) \overline{f(b)} \frac{ (a,b)^{2 \alpha} } { (ab)^\alpha } . \] These have applications to finding large values of the Riemann zeta function on the line \(\Re(s) = \alpha\), and to distribution modulo 1. Though the authors have something to say about all values of \(\alpha \in (0,1]\), this review will focus on the interesting special case \(\alpha = 1/2\), for which the sum is \[ S(f) := \sum_{a,b} f(a) \overline{f(b)} \frac{ (a,b) } {\sqrt{ab}}. \] Sharpening an estimate of \textit{A. Bondarenko} and \textit{K. Seip} [Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 47, No. 1, 29--41 (2015; Zbl 1375.11055)], \textit{R. de la Bretèche} and \textit{G. Tenenbaum} [Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. (3) 119, No. 1, 104--134 (2019; Zbl 1458.11141)] showed that \[ |S(f)| \le \exp \left( (2\sqrt 2 + o(1)) \sqrt{ \frac{ \log N \cdot \log \log \log N}{\log \log N}} \: \: \right) \| f \|_2^2, \] and that \(2\sqrt 2\) cannot be replaced by a smaller constant. The main idea of the article is that stronger estimates can be obtained if \(f\) is assumed not to be multiplicatively-structured. Let \(K \ge 3\), and suppose the multiplicative energy of \(f\) admits the bound \[ \sum_{ab = cd} f(a) f(b) \overline{ f(c) f(d)} \le K \| f \|_2^2. \] The authors, Bloom and Walker, show that if \(\| f \|_1 \ge 3\) and \(K \ge \log \| f\|_1\) then \[ S(f) \ll \frac{ \exp \left( O \left( \sqrt{\log K \cdot \log \log \|f\|_1} \: \right) \right ) }{ O(1) + \log \|f \|_1} \| f \|_2^2, \] the proof of which adapts a probabilistic framework of \textit{M. Lewko} and \textit{M. Radziwiłł} [Adv. Math. 305, 280--297 (2017; Zbl 1375.11056)]. They then apply this to the additively-structured function \(n \mapsto r_A(n)1_\mathbb{N},\) where \(A \subset \mathbb{N}\) is finite and \(r_A(n) = \# \{ (a,b) \in A^2: a-b = n \}\). In this case \(\| f \|_2^2\) is essentially the additive energy \[ E(A) := \sum_{n \in \mathbb{Z}} r(n)^2. \] Using a sum-product-type estimate of \textit{O. Roche-Newton} and \textit{M. Rudnev} [Isr. J. Math. 209, Part 2, 507--526 (2015; Zbl 1378.52019)], they obtain \[ S(r_A(n)1_\mathbb{N}) \ll (\log N)^{O(1)} \exp \left( O \left( \sqrt{ \log (N^3 / E(A)) \cdot \log \log N} \right) \right) E(A), \] where \(N = \# A\). Finally, an application to distribution modulo 1 is presented. Let \(\mathcal{A}\) be a strictly increasing sequence of positive integers, and for \(N \in \mathbb{N}\) denote by \(A_N\) the truncation of \(\mathcal{A}\) to its first \(N\) terms. The sequence \(\mathcal{A}\) is \textit{metric poissonian} if, for almost all \(\beta \in [0,1]\), for all \(s > 0\) we have \[ N^{-1} \sum_{\substack{ a,b \in A_N \\ a \ne b \\ \| \beta (a-b) \| \le s/N}} 1 \to 2s \qquad (N \to \infty). \] Quantum mechanics propaganda aside, the characterisation of the metric poissonian property has proved to be a rich and difficult task on which we appear to be stuck. Sharpening an estimate of \textit{C. Aistleitner} et al. [Isr. J. Math. 222, No. 1, 463--485 (2017; Zbl 1388.11043)], the authors conclude that if \(C\) is a large absolute constant and \[ E(A_N) \ll N^3 / (\log N)^C \] then \(\mathcal{A}\) is metric Poissonian. The next question is whether any \(C > 1\) suffices here; we know from \textit{A. Walker}'s paper [Mathematika 64, No. 1, 230--236 (2018; Zbl 1429.11136)] that it fails for \(C=1\). The result applies in particular when all of the terms of \(\mathcal{A}\) are squares, by an estimate of \textit{T. Sanders} [Anal. PDE 5, No. 3, 627--655 (2012; Zbl 1320.11009)] .

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