A general inversion formula for summatory arithmetic functions and its application to the summatory function of the Moebius function

Abstract: We prove an inversion formula for summatory arithmetic functions. As an application, we obtain an arithmetic relationship between summatory Piltz divisor functions and a sum of the M\"obius function over certain integers, denoted by $M(x,y)$. With this relationship, using bounds for the main and remainder terms in the $k$-divisor problems we deduce conditional and unconditional results concerning $M(x,y)$ and the zero-free region of the Riemann zeta-function and Dirichlet $L$-functions.