Partial sums of random multiplicative functions with supercritical divisor twists
Pith reviewed 2026-05-10 18:42 UTC · model grok-4.3
The pith
Expected moments of partial sums of d_alpha(n) f(n) for Steinhaus f and alpha in (1,2) are bounded by (log x) to a power over (log log x) to a power, uniformly in q up to 1/alpha.
A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.
Core claim
For alpha in (1,2) and q in [0,1/alpha], the expectation of the 2q-th power of the absolute value of one over square root of x times the sum up to x of d_alpha(n) f(n) is bounded above by (log x) raised to 2q(alpha-1) divided by (log log x) raised to the power 3 alpha q over 2 times (1 - alpha q) plus 1, for all large x.
What carries the argument
Level sets of the Euler product associated with the Steinhaus random multiplicative function f, whose measure is used to control the tails in the moment calculations.
If this is right
- The bounds align with predictions from supercritical Gaussian multiplicative chaos.
- Harper's upper bound at the critical value alpha equals 1 receives a short new proof, which implies Helson's conjecture when q equals 1/2.
- Conjecturally sharp upper bounds are obtained for the pseudomoments of the Riemann zeta function when alpha is in (1,2) and q is small and positive.
Where Pith is reading between the lines
- The level-set method may extend to other ranges of alpha or to different classes of random multiplicative functions.
- The uniform control in q strengthens the link between partial sums of twisted random functions and the distribution of zeta-function pseudomoments.
Load-bearing premise
The random function f has independent uniform phases on the primes and the measure of the level sets of its Euler product correctly bounds the tail contributions to the moments.
What would settle it
Direct numerical evaluation of the expectation for a fixed alpha such as 1.5 and q such as 0.6 at successively larger x, to check whether the observed growth tracks the claimed powers of log x and log log x.
read the original abstract
Let $f$ be a Steinhaus random multiplicative function, and for $\alpha\in \mathbb{R}$, let $d_\alpha$ denote the $\alpha$-divisor function. For $\alpha \in (1,2)$ we establish that $$ \mathbb{E}\bigg\{\Big|\frac{1}{\sqrt{x}}\sum_{n\leq x} d_\alpha(n)f(n)\Big|^{2q}\bigg\} \ll \frac{(\log x)^{2q(\alpha-1)}}{(\log\log x)^{3\alpha q/2}(1-\alpha q)+1} $$ uniformly for $q\in [0,1/\alpha]$ and all large $x$. This matches predictions from the theory of supercritical Gaussian multiplicative chaos, and provides an analogue of a seminal result of Harper corresponding to the critical ($\alpha=1$) case. Our approach is based on studying the measure of level sets of an Euler product associated with $f$, and yields a short proof of Harper's upper bound at $\alpha=1$ (implying Helson's conjecture at $q=1/2$). As an additional application, we obtain a conjecturally sharp bound for the pseudomoments of the Riemann zeta function in a certain parameter range, showing that $$ \lim_{T\to\infty}\frac{1}{T}\int_T^{2T} \bigg|\sum_{n\leq x}\frac{d_\alpha(n)}{n^{1/2+it}}\bigg|^{2q} \mathrm{d}t \ll \frac{(\log x)^{2q(\alpha-1)}}{(\log\log x)^{3\alpha q/2}}, $$ for $\alpha\in (1,2)$ and small $q>0$. This answers a question of Gerspach.
Editorial analysis
A structured set of objections, weighed in public.
Referee Report
Summary. The manuscript establishes that for α ∈ (1,2), the 2q-moment of the normalized partial sum (1/√x) ∑_{n≤x} d_α(n) f(n) with f a Steinhaus random multiplicative function satisfies E[ |·|^{2q} ] ≪ (log x)^{2q(α-1)} / (log log x)^{3αq/2 (1-αq)+1} uniformly for q ∈ [0,1/α]. The proof proceeds via level-set measures of an associated Euler product; the same method yields a short proof of Harper's bound at α=1 and a bound on zeta pseudomoments for small q>0.
Significance. If the uniformity of the tail estimates holds, the result supplies a clean extension of Harper's critical-case work into the supercritical regime, confirming predictions from Gaussian multiplicative chaos. The level-set approach is efficient and also recovers the α=1 case (implying Helson's conjecture at q=1/2). The zeta-function application directly answers a question of Gerspach. These are genuine strengths.
major comments (2)
- [§3 (level-set analysis of the Euler product P(ω))] §3 (level-set analysis of the Euler product P(ω)): the passage from the measure of {ω : |P(ω)| > λ} to the claimed moment bound via integration by parts requires an explicit error term that remains o(1) uniformly as q → (1/α)^-. When q approaches 1/α the target exponent on log log x tends to 1 while the moment order tends to 2/α; any non-uniform truncation or approximation error in the slowly-varying divisor factor would destroy the stated power.
- [Theorem 1.1] Theorem 1.1 and the uniformity statement: the claimed bound is stated to hold uniformly in q ∈ [0,1/α], but the dependence of all implicit constants on α and q must be tracked explicitly through the Euler-product tail estimates; without this, the result cannot be verified to be free of uncontrolled α,q-dependence.
minor comments (2)
- [Abstract] Abstract: the exponent is written as “3α q/2 (1-α q)+1”; parentheses should be inserted to read 3αq/2 ⋅ (1-αq) + 1 for clarity.
- [Introduction] Notation: the definition of the α-divisor function d_α(n) and its logarithmic derivative should be recalled explicitly before the Euler-product analysis begins.
Simulated Author's Rebuttal
We thank the referee for their thorough review and valuable suggestions. We address each major comment below and have updated the manuscript accordingly to strengthen the uniformity statements and error controls.
read point-by-point responses
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Referee: §3 (level-set analysis of the Euler product P(ω)): the passage from the measure of {ω : |P(ω)| > λ} to the claimed moment bound via integration by parts requires an explicit error term that remains o(1) uniformly as q → (1/α)^-. When q approaches 1/α the target exponent on log log x tends to 1 while the moment order tends to 2/α; any non-uniform truncation or approximation error in the slowly-varying divisor factor would destroy the stated power.
Authors: We agree that uniformity of the error term is crucial as q approaches 1/α. In the original manuscript, the level-set estimates in §3 are derived with bounds that are uniform in q up to 1/α, as the truncation in the divisor function approximation is controlled by a factor that depends only on α and is independent of q. However, to make this explicit, we have revised §3 to include a dedicated lemma stating that the error in the integration by parts is O( (log log x)^{-1/2} ), which is o(1) uniformly in q ∈ [0, 1/α] and smaller than the target exponent which approaches 1. This ensures the bound holds without destruction of the power. revision: yes
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Referee: Theorem 1.1 and the uniformity statement: the claimed bound is stated to hold uniformly in q ∈ [0,1/α], but the dependence of all implicit constants on α and q must be tracked explicitly through the Euler-product tail estimates; without this, the result cannot be verified to be free of uncontrolled α,q-dependence.
Authors: We have revised the statement of Theorem 1.1 and the proofs in §3 to explicitly track the dependence of constants on α and q. All constants in the Euler-product tail estimates depend only on α (which is fixed in (1,2)) and are independent of q for q ≤ 1/α. We added a note that the implicit constants are uniform in q as long as q is bounded away from 1/α by a fixed amount, but the full range is covered by the exponent adjustment. This makes the uniformity verifiable. revision: yes
Circularity Check
No significant circularity; derivation self-contained via level-set analysis
full rationale
The paper derives the stated moment bound directly from an analysis of the measure of level sets of the twisted Euler product associated to the Steinhaus random multiplicative function. This construction is developed internally for α ∈ (1,2) and yields an independent short proof of the Harper bound at α=1 without reducing any claimed inequality to a fitted parameter, a self-citation chain, or a prior result of the same author by construction. The tail-control estimates are obtained within the paper and do not presuppose the target exponent; external predictions from Gaussian multiplicative chaos are matched but not used as load-bearing inputs. The derivation therefore remains self-contained against external benchmarks.
Axiom & Free-Parameter Ledger
axioms (2)
- domain assumption f is completely multiplicative with f(p) independent uniform on the unit circle for each prime p
- standard math The α-divisor function d_α(n) is the usual multiplicative function with d_α(p^k) = (k+1)^α
Reference graph
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discussion (0)
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