Finite Cotangent Power Sums Weighted by Additive Characters With Application to Mean Values of Additive-and-Multiplicatively Twisted $L$-Functions

Abstract

We derive explicit formulas for finite sums of powers of cotangents, both at rational and arbitrary arguments, together with their alternating counterparts, weighted by additive characters. Our method relies on Apostol--Bernoulli polynomials and on the partial fraction expansion of trigonometric functions. As applications, we solve the problem posed by Berndt, Kim and Zaharescu \cite{BKZ:2023} on evaluating $\sum\csc^{2m}$ and $\sum\sec^{2m}$ at rational arguments, recover as a special case the classical Berndt--Yeap formula, and relate our identities to spectral zeta functions of circulant graphs. Furthermore, to systematically evaluate higher-order derivatives arising from the Lipschitz summation formula, we introduce a novel sequence of polynomial coefficients $c_{m,j}(β)$, termed \emph{deformed cotangent coefficients}, and establish their recursive and algebraic properties. Using these coefficients, we establish a general additive-and-multiplicatively twisted character mean value theorem for Lerch zeta functions, significantly extending the framework of Bayad and Raouj to incorporate additive character twists.