Mean values of long Dirichlet polynomials with divisor coefficients

Abstract

In this article, we prove an asymptotic formula for the mean value of long smoothed Dirichlet polynomials with divisor coefficients. Our result has a main term that includes all lower order terms and a power saving error term. This is derived from a more general theorem on mean values of long smoothed Dirichlet polynomials that was previously established by the second and third authors. We thus establish a stronger form of a conjecture of Conrey and Gonek in the case of divisor functions.