Higher order moments of generalized quadratic Gauss sums weighted by $L$-functions

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The main purpose of this paper is to study higher order moments of the generalized quadratic Gauss sums weighted by $L$-functions using estimates for character sums and analytic methods. We find asymptotic formulas for three character sums which arise naturally in the study of higher order moments of the generalized quadratic Gauss sums. We then use these character sum estimates to find asymptotic formulas for the $\nth{6}$ and $\nth{8}$ order moments of the generalized quadratic Gauss sums weighted by $L$-functions. Our asymptotic formulas satisfy a conjecture of Wenpeng Zhang.