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EDIT: The observation described here was due to a bug in the code used to generate the data (as commented by Lucia), which renders this question irrelevant. The answer, however, is worth reading.

The following relation is quite easy to derive $$(\sum_{i=1}^n \frac{1}{i^R})^2 = \sum_{i=1}^n \frac{\sigma_1(i)}{i^R}+\epsilon$$ With $\lim_{n\to\infty}\epsilon = 0$

For any fixed $n$ one can describe the error term as a function of $R$. Ratios of consecutive values of said function seem to be independent from $n$. $${\epsilon_{R-1}}/{\epsilon_R} = \Omega_R \approx 4$$ $\Omega_R$ appears at first to decrease monotonically towards convergence, but some values are greater than expected, hinting that it diverges. Below is a link to a python script which can list some of its values.

My question is: what could possibly account for the irregular behavior of $\Omega$? is its growth bounded?

First few error ratios: https://repl.it/FY1v/3

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    $\begingroup$ First, you need to omit $i=0$ as we don't divide by zero. Second, the limit (as $n$ goes to infinity) of the squared sum on the left is the limit of the sum on the right. So the error is zero. $\endgroup$
    – GH from MO
    Commented Jan 29, 2017 at 1:46
  • $\begingroup$ What is the value of the n appearing on the right hand side? Is it a fixed value? $\endgroup$
    – Asvin
    Commented Jan 29, 2017 at 2:29
  • $\begingroup$ Thanks for your interest. I have corrected a couple mistakes and hopefully my question is now more clear. $\endgroup$
    – Maclio
    Commented Jan 29, 2017 at 3:48
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    $\begingroup$ It's a programming error! Your code for the number of divisors of $n$ is off by one on the squares, and this happens first at $n=4$. $\endgroup$
    – Lucia
    Commented Jan 29, 2017 at 15:52
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    $\begingroup$ @Lucia: Thanks for clarifying this. I am embarrassed by my original response (written when I was brain dead), and I fixed it now. $\endgroup$
    – GH from MO
    Commented Jan 29, 2017 at 19:18

1 Answer 1

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My original response was wrong in an embarrasing way, so let me fix it. As Lucia remarked, the OP's observation was due to a programming error, and the general picture is as follows. We have $$\epsilon_R(n)=\left(\sum_{m=1}^n \frac{1}{m^R}\right)^2-\sum_{m=1}^n \frac{d(m)}{m^R}=\sum_{m=n+1}^{n^2}\frac{c(m)}{m^R},$$ where $c(m)$ counts the number of representations $m=m_1m_2$ with $m_1,m_2\leq n$. Now let $n\geq 2$ be fixed, and let $R\to\infty$. Then we get $$\epsilon_R(n)=\begin{cases}\frac{c(n+1)+o(1)}{(n+1)^R}&\text{when $n+1$ is composite};\\\frac{c(n+2)+o(1)}{(n+2)^R}&\text{when $n+1$ is a prime.}\end{cases}$$ In particular, $$ \lim_{R\to\infty}\frac{\epsilon_{R-1}(n)}{\epsilon_R(n)}=\begin{cases}n+1&\text{when $n+1$ is composite};\\n+2&\text{when $n+1$ is a prime.}\end{cases}$$

Added. Here are some numerical experiments done with SAGE that confirm the above: $$\frac{\epsilon_{499}(99)}{\epsilon_{500}(99)}\approx\frac{7.00030668509\times 10^{-998}}{7.00030067129\times 10^{-1000}}\approx 100.000085908$$ $$\frac{\epsilon_{499}(100)}{\epsilon_{500}(100)}\approx\frac{3.06685088585\times 10^{-1002}}{3.00671292947\times 10^{-1004}}\approx 102.000122985$$ SAGE code used:

R=500;n=100;
A=sum([RealField(5000)(1/m^(R-1)) for m in range(1,n+1)])^2-sum([RealField(5000)(number_of_divisors(m)/m^(R-1)) for m in range(1,n+1)])
B=sum([RealField(5000)(1/m^R) for m in range(1,n+1)])^2-sum([RealField(5000)(number_of_divisors(m)/m^R) for m in range(1,n+1)])
A/B
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    $\begingroup$ Don't yo get $\frac{3+o(1)}{4^R}$ when squaring out the first equation? $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 29, 2017 at 12:37
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    $\begingroup$ @Jan-ChristophSchlage-Puchta: I am embarrassed by my error, and I fixed it now. Thanks for asking! $\endgroup$
    – GH from MO
    Commented Jan 29, 2017 at 19:17

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