Rational exponential sums over the divisor function

Abstract

We consider a problem posed by Shparlinski, of giving nontrivial bounds for rational exponential sums over the arithmetic function $\tau(n)$, counting the number of divisors of $n$. This is done using some ideas of Sathe concerning the distribution in residue classes of the function $\omega(n)$, counting the number of prime factors of $n$, to bring the problem into a form where, for general modulus, we may apply a bound of Bourgain concerning exponential sums over subgroups of finite abelian groups and for prime modulus some results of Korobov and Shkredov.