The Theory Of Arithmetic Functions

This volume focuses on the classical theory of number-theoretic functions emphasizing algebraic and multiplicative techniques. It contains many structure theorems basic to the study of arithmetic functions, including several previously unpublished proofs. The author is head of the Dept. of Mathemati

Every positive integer m has a product representation of the form where v, k and the ni are positive integers, and each Ei = ± I. A value can be given for v which is uniform in the m. A representation can be computed so that no ni exceeds a certain fixed power of 2m, and the number k of terms needed does not exceed a fixed power of log 2m. Consider next the collection of finite probability spaces whose associated measures assume only rational values. Let hex) be a real-valued function which measures the information in an event, depending only upon the probability x with which that event occurs. Assuming hex) to be non negative, and to satisfy certain standard properties, it must have the form -A(x log x + (I - x) 10g(I -x». Except for a renormalization this is the well-known function of Shannon. What do these results have in common? They both apply the theory of arithmetic functions. The two widest classes of arithmetic functions are the real-valued additive and the complex-valued multiplicative functions. Beginning in the thirties of this century, the work of Erdos, Kac, Kubilius, Turan and others gave a discipline to the study of the general value distribution of arithmetic func tions by the introduction of ideas, methods and results from the theory of Probability. I gave an account of the resulting extensive and still developing branch of Number Theory in volumes 239/240 of this series, under the title Probabilistic Number Theory.

This volume focuses on the classical theory of number-theoretic functions emphasizing algebraic and multiplicative techniques. It contains many structure theorems basic to the study of arithmetic functions, including several previously unpublished proofs. The author is head of the Dept. of Mathemati

"This monograph is devoted to arithmetic functions, an area of number theory. Arithmetic functions are very important in many parts of theoretical and applied sciences, and many mathematicians have devoted great interest in this field. One of the interesting features of this book is the introduction and study of certain new arithmetic functions that have been considered by the authors separately or together, and their importance is shown in many connections with the classical arithmetic functions or in their applications to other problems"--

"This book, which presupposes familiarity only with the most elementary concepts of arithmetic (divisibility properties, greatest common divisor, etc.), is an expanded version of a series of lectures for graduate students on elementary number theory. Topics include: Compositions and Partitions; Arithmetic Functions; Distribution of Primes; Irrational Numbers; Congruences; Diophantine Equations; Combinatorial Number Theory; and Geometry of Numbers. Three sections of problems (which include exercises as well as unsolved problems) complete the text."--Publisher's description

The plan of this book had its inception in a course of lectures on arithmetical functions given by me in the summer of 1964 at the Forschungsinstitut fUr Mathematik of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, at the invitation of Professor Beno Eckmann. My Introduction to Analytic Number Theory has appeared in the meanwhile, and this book may be looked upon as a sequel. It presupposes only a modicum of acquaintance with analysis and number theory. The arithmetical functions considered here are those associated with the distribution of prime numbers, as well as the partition function and the divisor function. Some of the problems posed by their asymptotic behaviour form the theme. They afford a glimpse of the variety of analytical methods used in the theory, and of the variety of problems that await solution. I owe a debt of gratitude to Professor Carl Ludwig Siegel, who has read the book in manuscript and given me the benefit of his criticism. I have improved the text in several places in response to his comments. I must thank Professor Raghavan Narasimhan for many stimulating discussions, and Mr. Henri Joris for the valuable assistance he has given me in checking the manuscript and correcting the proofs. K. Chandrasekharan July 1970 Contents Chapter I The prime number theorem and Selberg's method § 1. Selberg's fonnula . . . . . . 1 § 2. A variant of Selberg's formula 6 12 § 3. Wirsing's inequality . . . . . 17 § 4. The prime number theorem. .