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For an integer $m$, direct integration gives zero unless $m=0$, in which case it gives one. Products of this identity on the unit cube turn integrals of finite exponential sums into counts of integer solutions. This is the elementary orthogonality used in the Vinogradov mean value.

The Vinogradov mean value isBy orthogonality of integer Fourier modes, it counts the ordered integer solutions of ${\sum }_{i=1}^k{x}_i^j={\sum }_{i=1}^k{y}_i^j$ for $1\le j\le r$, with every coordinate between one and $\lfloor Z\rfloor$. The diagonal solutions $y_i=x_i$ give $J_{k,r}(Z)\ge \lfloor Z{\rfloor }^k$.

Put $D=r(r+1)/2$. The moment vector $({\sum }_i{x}_i^j{)}_{j=1}^r$ has at most ${\prod }_{j=1}^r(k\lfloor Z{\rfloor }^j+1){\ll }_{k,r}{Z}^D$ possible values. If $R(v)$ counts the tuples with vector $v$, then ${\sum }_{v}R(v)=\lfloor Z{\rfloor }^k$ and $J_{k,r}(Z)={\sum }_{v}R(v{)}^2$. The Cauchy-Schwarz inequality gives $J_{k,r}(Z){\gg }_{k,r}{Z}^{2k-D}$. Combining the two lower bounds, with one common positive constant for large $Z$, yields

Here is an explicit way that upper bounds enter the Vinogradov mean-value method for a bilinear exponential sum. Write $U={\sum }_{x,y\le Z}e({\sum }_j{\alpha }_j{x}^j{y}^j)$ and $L_j=k\lfloor Z{\rfloor }^j$. Two applications of the Holder inequality, followed by grouping equal differences of moment vectors, giveAt integer ${\alpha }_{j}v$ the minimum is defined as $2L_j+1$; $\Vert u\Vert$ means distance to the nearest integer. To explain the mean-value factor, let $r(v)$ count pairs of $k$-tuples with prescribed moment difference. It is an autocorrelation of $R$, so $r(v)\le {\sum }_{w}R(w{)}^2=J_{k,r}(Z)$ by Cauchy-Schwarz inequality. The first Holder inequality groups the $y$ tuples, and the second groups the $x$ tuples, providing the two factors $J$. The remaining sums over moment differences are bounded by the displayed finite geometric series estimates. Good Vinogradov mean value upper bounds, together with rational approximation or spacing bounds for ${\alpha }_j$, therefore give cancellation in $U$. The mean-value estimate alone does not force cancellation for arbitrary coefficients: when all ${\alpha }_j$ are integers, $U=\lfloor Z{\rfloor }^2$. For the paper take $Z=N^{2/5}$ and the specified ${\alpha }_j$.