Some sums over irreducible polynomials

David E Speyer

Published 2016-08-10Version 1

We prove a number of conjectures due to Dinesh Thakur concerning sums of the form $\sum_P h(P)$ where the sum is over monic irreducible polynomials $P$ in $\mathbb{F}_q[T]$, the function $h$ is a rational function and the sum is considered in the $T^{-1}$-adic topology. As an example of our results, in $\mathbb{F}_2[T]$, the sum $\sum_P \tfrac{1}{P^k - 1}$ always converges to a rational function, and is $0$ for $k=1$.