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Let $(a_n)_{n\in\mathbb{N}}$ be a sequence of positive number such that $\sum_n a_n < +\infty$ (i.e. $a_n \in \ell^1$) but $\sum_n r^n a_n = +\infty$ for every $r > 1$.

Given $\sigma \in (0,1)$, I would like to prove a lower bound on the function which maps $t \geq 1$ to $$ H_\sigma(t) := \sum_n \frac{4^{n \sigma}}{4^n+t^2} a_n. $$

Concerning an upper bound, one easily proves that $H_\sigma(t) \leq t^{-2(1-\sigma)}$.

Concerning the lower bound, one easily gets similar behaviors for particular sequences. For example, when $a_n = 1/n^2$ (which satisfies the assumptions), taking heuristically only the term for $n = \lfloor \ln t \rfloor$ one obtains $H_\sigma(t) \geq t^{-2(1-\sigma)} / \ln^2(t)$.

I suspect some kind of Tauberian argument could yield a lower bound valid for all sequences $a_n$ as in the assumptions, but I am not familiar with such techniques. I would be happy with a result of the form: $$\forall \sigma' < \sigma, \exists c' >0, \quad H_\sigma(t) \geq c' t^{-2(1-\sigma')}.$$

Could you suggest a method or references on related arguments?

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$\newcommand{\si}{\sigma}\newcommand{\ep}{\varepsilon}$The answer is no. If the sequence $(a_n)$ is lacunary enough, then $H_\si(t)$ may behave for some large $t$ roughly as just one of the summands $\frac{4^{n \si}}{4^n+t^2} a_n$, so that for such $t$ we have $H_\si(t)\ll t^{-2+\ep}$ for every real $\ep>0$, and hence, for any given $\si'>0$, the inequality $H_\si(t)\gg t^{-2(1-\si')}$ will not hold for all large enough $t$. We write $A\ll B$ and $B\gg A$ if $A=O(B)$.

To simplify notations, let \begin{equation*} u:=t^2,\quad s:=\si,\quad s':=\si', \end{equation*} so that \begin{equation*} H_\si(t)=h_s(u):=\sum_n \frac{4^{sn}}{4^n+u}\, a_n. \tag{1}\label{1} \end{equation*}

Take a natural number $b\in\{3,4,\dots\}$, which should be thought of as fixed but large enough (depending only on $s$), as large as needed wherever needed. Let \begin{equation*} a_n:=\frac1{b^j}\text{ if $n=b^j$ for some natural $j$, with $a_n=0$ otherwise.} \end{equation*} Then $\sum_n a_n<\infty$ and $\sum_n r^n a_n=\infty$ for every $r>1$. Moreover, \begin{equation*} h_s(u)\le g_s(u):=\sum_j c_j(u), \tag{2}\label{2} \end{equation*} where \begin{equation*} c_j(u):=\frac{4^{sb^j}}{4^{b^j}+u}. \end{equation*} Consider \begin{equation*} r_j(u):=\frac{c_{j+1}(u)}{c_j(u)}=4^{s(b-1)b^j}\frac{4^{b^j}+u}{4^{b\,b^j}+u}. \end{equation*} Finally, choose \begin{equation*} u=u_k:=4^{b^k[(1-s)b+s]/2}, \end{equation*} where $k$ is a natural number going to $\infty$, so that $u_k\to\infty$. Note that $1\le[(1-s)b+s]/2\le b$ for all large enough $b$ (depending only on $s$) and hence \begin{equation*} 4^{b^k}\le u\le4^{b\,b^k}. \tag{3}\label{3} \end{equation*}

So, for natural $j\ge k$ we have \begin{equation*} r_j(u)\le4^{s(b-1)b^j}\frac{4^{b^j}+u}{4^{b\,b^j}} \le4^{-(1-s)(b-1)b^k}+4^{-b^k[(1-s)b+s]/2}\le\frac12 \end{equation*} for all large enough $b$. So, \begin{equation*} \sum_{j\ge k} c_j(u)\le2c_k(u). \tag{4}\label{4} \end{equation*}

On the other hand, for natural $j\le k-1$ we have \begin{equation*} r_j(u)\ge4^{s(b-1)b^j}\frac{u}{4^{b^k}+u}\ge4^{s(b-1)b^j}\frac12\ge2 \end{equation*} for all large enough $b$; the penultimate inequality follows by \eqref{3}. So, \begin{equation*} \sum_{j\le k-1} c_j(u)\le2c_k(u). \tag{5}\label{5} \end{equation*}

By \eqref{2}, \eqref{4}, and \eqref{5}, \begin{equation*} h_s(u_k)\le 4c_k(u_k)\le4\frac{4^{sb^k}}{u_k}=4u_k^{-p}, \end{equation*} where \begin{equation} p:=\frac{(1-s)b-s}{(1-s)b+s}, \end{equation} which can be made however close to $1$ by letting $b$ be large enough.

Thus, for any real $s'>0$, the statement $h_s(u)\gg u^{-(1-s')}$ will fail to hold, if $b$ is large enough. Equivalently, for any real $s'>0$ and any real $c'>0$, it is not true that $H_s(t)\ge c' t^{-2(1-s')}$ for all large enough $t>0$. $\quad\Box$

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  • $\begingroup$ Wow, thank you very much for this detailed construction! Do you believe that the violation of the inequality is linked with the choice of "exceptional" values $u_k$ but that some integral statement could be true, e.g. with your notations, $\int_1^{+\infty} \frac{u^{-(1-s')}}{h_s(u)} \frac{du}{u} < +\infty$ ? $\endgroup$
    – cs89
    Commented Mar 30, 2022 at 8:18
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    $\begingroup$ @cs89 : Yes, I think something like this should be true. However, that would be a very different question, which should be posted separately. $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 30, 2022 at 14:27

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