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Questions tagged [arithmetic-functions]

An arithmetic function is one whose domain is the positive integers and whose range is a subset of the complex numbers. There are a number of important number-theoretic examples.

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4 votes
1 answer
256 views

First occurrence of formula for $\sum_{n\leq x} \mu(n) \log n$ in terms of $\psi(y)-\lfloor y\rfloor$?

The identity contained in the last two displayed equations in the following passage (from page 110 in Ayoub's An Introduction to the Analytic Theory of Numbers, 1963) gives us right away a simple ...
4 votes
0 answers
151 views

Identities to go from $\sum_{n\leq x} \mu(n) \log \frac{x}{n}$ to $M(x) = \sum_{n\leq x} \mu(n)$?

Let $\mu$ be the Möbius function. Say we have a bound on $\check{M}(x) = \sum_{n\leq x} \mu(n) \log \frac{x}{n}$ of the form $|\check{M}(x)|\leq \epsilon x$ for all $x\geq x_0$. It is then easy to ...
15 votes
4 answers
2k views

Square roots and prime numbers

Definitions: Here I present a novel conjecture using basic mathematical tools like the sum of the divisors of an integer $n$ called $\sigma(n)$, the sum of the squares of the positive divisors of n ...
3 votes
1 answer
103 views

References: rigorous algorithms for elementary computations in base-b with complexity estimates

Definitions/Notation: Fix positive integers $b$ and $M$. Consider the set of real numbers which can be exactly expressed with $2M+1$ coefficients in base $b$, defined by $$\mathcal{X}(b,M):=\{x\in \...
3 votes
1 answer
189 views

Brun-Titchmarsh for sum over square divisors

Let $f(n)$ be a nonnegative arithmetic function satisfying $f(p^l) \leq A_1^l$ for all primes $p$, integers $l\geq 1$, and some constant $A_1$; $f(n) \leq A_2 n^\varepsilon$ for all $\varepsilon > ...
6 votes
1 answer
2k views

If $N = qn^2$ is an odd perfect number with $\gcd(q,n)=1$, is it possible to have $q + 1 = \sigma(n)$?

The title says it all. Question If $N = qn^2$ is an odd perfect number with Euler prime $q$ and $\gcd(q,n)=1$, is it possible to have $q + 1 = \sigma(n)$? Heuristic From the Descartes spoof, with ...
30 votes
0 answers
794 views

Is it true that $\left\{\frac{\sigma(n)}{\varphi(n)}:\ n\in\mathbb{Z}_{\geq 1}\right\}=\{r\in\mathbb Q:\ r\ge1\}$?

For any positive integer $n$, let $\sigma(n)$ be the sum of all positive divisors of $n$. Clearly, $\sigma(n)\ge n\ge \varphi(n)$ for all $n\in\mathbb{Z}_{\geq 1}$, where $\varphi$ is Euler's totient ...
4 votes
1 answer
175 views

Behavior of $m(x)\sqrt{x}$ where $m(x)=\sum_{n\leq x}\frac{\mu(n)}{n}$

Let $M(x) = \sum_{n\leq x} \mu(n)$ and $m(x) = \sum_{n\leq x} \frac{\mu(n)}{n}$, where $\mu(n)$ is the Möbius function. We know that (it is not the best known bounds): $$\limsup_{x \to \infty} M(x)x^{-...
1 vote
0 answers
165 views

Relationship between two types of partition functions

Referring to this unanswered question on MS, I'm posting the same question here: For $s\in \mathbb{C},\Re(s)>1 $, consider: $$\prod_{k=1}^{\infty}\prod_{n=2}^{\infty}\frac{1}{1-n^{-ks}}= \prod_{k=1}...
1 vote
0 answers
125 views

Where have you encountered the following arithmetic function?

The following arithmetic function is studied by Zagier in connection with values at odd negative integers of zeta functions of real quadratic fields: $$e_r (n)=\sum_{\underset{|x|\leq n}{x^{2}\equiv n\...
0 votes
0 answers
193 views

Possible implications of the bound $\sum_{n\leq x}\sum_{m_{1}+m_{2}=n}\lambda\left(m_{1}\right)\lambda\left(m_{2}\right)=O\left(x\right)$

Let $\lambda(n)$ be the Liouville function and consider the Goldbach-type problem $\sum_{m_{1}+m_{2}=n}\lambda\left(m_{1}\right)\lambda\left(m_{2}\right)$. Assume the Riemann hypothesis, the ...
11 votes
2 answers
1k views

A question on Euler's totient function

With reference to the Euler's totient function $\phi(\cdot)$, given any $n \in \mathbb{Z}^+$, it's quite straightforward to find $\phi(n)$. In contrast, given $n \in \mathbb{Z}^+$, even though there ...
4 votes
0 answers
121 views

Do all nonnegative integers appear in A051521?

For every positive integer $n$, $\tau(n)$ is the number of divisors of $n$. If we list the ratio of each positive integer $n$ to $\tau(n)$,they form a rational sequence 1,1,3/2,4/3,5/2,3/2,… Because $\...
6 votes
1 answer
392 views

Arithmetic properties of positively reduced $2\times 2$-matrices

Call a $2\times 2$ matrix with coefficients in $\{0,1,2,3,\ldots\}$ positively reduced if any row or column reduction (given by replacing a row/column by itself minus the other row/column) produces at ...
3 votes
4 answers
1k views

A conjecture regarding odd perfect numbers

(Note: I asked this question in MSE this June 2018 but did not receive any responses there. I have therefore cross-posted it here, hoping that it gets answered.) Let $\sigma(z)$ denote the sum of ...
8 votes
1 answer
205 views

Are there infinite numbers of the form $\sigma_1(n)=\sigma_1(m)=p$, or is there only one?

I put forward a hypothesis in number theory, it is as follows.$ \sigma_1(n)=\sigma_1(m)=p$, where $\sigma_1$ is the divisor sum function, $n,m\in \mathbb N$, and $p$ is prime. I recently noticed and ...
3 votes
2 answers
581 views

Approximation of partial sum over prime omega function

I asked the question in Math StackExchange. Link: https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/4765476/approximation-of-partial-sum-over-prime-omega-function I haven't got any response yet. Here are the ...
1 vote
0 answers
168 views

On two formulas involving the $k$-fold divisor function $d_k$ and the function $r_k$

I have a puzzle which needs some help form the experts here. Let $d(n)$ be the divisor function, and $d_k(n)$ the $k$-fold divisor function. I) It is known that, for any positive integer $h$, $$d(n+h)...
0 votes
1 answer
338 views

Estimating a sum involving the von Mangoldt function

I'd like to know the estimate of the following sum $$\sum_{n\leq x}\sum_{d|n}\Lambda(d)\frac{\phi(d)}{d} $$ where $\Lambda(d)$ is the von mangoldt function and $\phi(d)$ is the Euler totient function. ...
4 votes
0 answers
86 views

On Carmichael function and aliquot parts of odd perfect numbers

I've asked nine months ago this question on Mathematics Stack Exchange with identifier 4430381 and same title. There is not answer for this question on Mathematics Stack Exchange, I wondered if this ...
0 votes
0 answers
68 views

Around similar inequalities than an inequality due to Nicolas, that involve products of consecutive Ramanujan primes

This is cross-posted (and this post is a version to ask just around the veracity of Conjecture 1) as the post with identifier 3594907 and same title), that I've edited on Mathematics Stack Exchange ...
1 vote
1 answer
347 views

On equations with arithmetic functions [closed]

Is this good topic for research: equations with arithmetic functions, for example equations like $\varphi(n)=\sigma(n)$ or $\varphi(n)+\sigma(n)=d(n)$ ? If Anyone here have an advise please tell me ...
-10 votes
1 answer
555 views

Arithmetic billiards, prime numbers and the Goldbach conjecture

I've edited the following post on Mathematics Stack Exchange, (now closed, at that date I'm suspended) with identifier 4510963, please let me to know if you've some doubt or I can improve the post. On ...
6 votes
1 answer
213 views

Upper bound on minimum number of prime factors in short intervals

Suppose that $H = H(X)$ is some quantity growing with $X$. Are there any bounds on $$F(X, H) = \min_{X < n\le X + H} \omega(n)?$$ It isn't hard to obtain a lower bound $\max_{x\sim X} F(X, H)\gg \...
2 votes
1 answer
379 views

A conjecture concerning the equation $\sigma\left(\square\right)=\text{prime}$

I can deduce the following simple proposition, the definitions for $\sigma(x)$ the sum of divisors functions and $\varphi(x)$ the Euler totient function are assumed. After I present a conjecture that ...
0 votes
0 answers
89 views

A similar inequality for the Dedekind psi function, than an inequality stated by Schinzel

I would like to ask about the next question that seems to me interesting. I know an article that was written by Andrzej Schinzel in which he stated Lemma 2. In this post we denote the Dedekind psi ...
1 vote
1 answer
96 views

On the behaviour for the quotient involving Fermat numbers of $\frac{\psi(F_m)}{F_m}$ where $\psi(x)$ denotes the Dedekind psi function

In this post we denote the Dedekind psi function as $\psi(m)$ for integers $m\geq 1$. This is an important arithmetic fuction in several subjects of mathematics. As reference I add the Wikipedia ...
1 vote
1 answer
123 views

Periodic sequences of integers generated by $a_{n+1}=\frac{\operatorname{rad}(pa_{n})}{p}+\frac{\operatorname{rad}(qa_{n-1})}{q}$

Let's define the radical of the positive integer $n$ as $$\operatorname{rad}(n)=\prod_{\substack{p\mid n\\ p\text{ prime}}}p$$ and consider the sequence $$a_{n+1}=\frac{\operatorname{rad}(p\cdot a_{n})...
1 vote
0 answers
153 views

A definition related to pseudoprimes and the Dedekind psi function

In this post we consider that $\psi(k)$ denotes the Dedekind psi function. Wikipedia has an artcle dedicated to this arithmetic function Dedekind psi function defined for a positive integers $m>1$ ...
4 votes
0 answers
232 views

On the density of a particular subset of integers

Given a positive integer $n$ in the standard form $$n=\prod_k p_k^{\alpha_k}$$ and the arithmetic function (investigated by Erdős in this paper) $$A(n)=\sum_k \alpha_k p_k$$ let's define the subset $E$...
9 votes
4 answers
4k views

Averages of Euler-phi function and similar

What are the odds two numbers are relatively prime? This is known to be $\frac{6}{\pi^2}$. The proof involves calculating averages of the Euler phi function. \[ \phi(1) + \phi(2) + \dotsb + \phi(n) \...
20 votes
3 answers
913 views

Extending arithmetic functions to groups

Thinking along the lines of Tom Leinster's fascinating recent question, I'm wondering more generally about how to extend questions about natural numbers to groups, with the cyclic groups representing ...
18 votes
1 answer
593 views

For which $n$ is $\sum_{k=1}^n 1 / \varphi(k)$ an integer?

For which positive integers $n$ is the sum $\sum_{k=1}^n 1 / \varphi(k)$ an integer? Here $\varphi$ is the Euler totient function. The question is a "totient-analog" of the well-known result ...
0 votes
0 answers
37 views

Number of different factorizations

I define $\nu(n)$ the number of different factorizations for an integer $n$. I know there are papers about $\delta(n)$ the number of dividers for an integer $n$ (Landau, Euler, Dirichlet) but I still ...
0 votes
1 answer
230 views

Correlating the von Mangoldt function with periodic sequences

The Dirichlet inverse of the Euler totient function is: $$\varphi^{-1}(n) = \sum_{d \mid n} \mu(d)d \tag{1}$$ and the von Mangoldt function can be expanded/computed as: $$\Lambda(n) = \sum\limits_{k=1}...
3 votes
2 answers
233 views

Help with R. Ryan's "A simpler dense proof regarding the abundancy Index."

I'm reading Richard Ryan's article "A simpler dense proof regarding the abundancy index" and got stuck in his proof for Theorem 2. The Theorem is stated as follows: Suppose we have a ...
0 votes
0 answers
132 views

How to estimate sums over arithmetic progressions?

For $x>1$ $$ N(x)=\sum_{0<n<x \\n \equiv 1 \pmod 4\\ n\text{ squarefree}} 1 $$ How to estimate $N(x)$'s order? (Like $N(x) \sim Ax$) Furthermore, for $n=p_1p_2\cdots p_v$, define $\alpha (n)=...
5 votes
1 answer
180 views

Uniformity in Wirsing's Mean Value Theorems

In two important papers of Wirsing, namely "Das asymptotische Verhalten von Summen über multiplikative Funktionen" (1961) and its follow up (1967), several results on mean values of multiplicative ...
19 votes
3 answers
4k views

Generalized Euler phi function

Let $n$ be an integer, there is a well-known formula for $\varphi(n)$ where $\varphi$ is the Euler phi function. Essentially, $\varphi(n)$ gives the number of invertible elements in $\mathbb{Z}/n\...
4 votes
0 answers
81 views

Joint mean values of arithmetic functions in sequences and families of sequences

This is a bit of a follow up question to this question I asked a couple days ago. The main content of that post can be phrased as asking for a nontrivial lower bound on the sum $$ \sum_{n\leq x} \...
13 votes
2 answers
968 views

Have any proposals been advanced for the analytic continuation of the divisor function?

While I was working on the evaluation of a certain series, the following limit came up: \begin{align} \lim_{n \to 1} \frac{d(n)-1}{n(n-1)} &= \lim_{n \to 1} \frac{d'(n)}{2n-1} \\ &= d'(1) .\...
15 votes
1 answer
956 views

Is the sum $\sum_{d\mid n}\frac1{d+1}$ never integral?

Recall that a positive integer $n$ is a perfect number if and only if $$\frac{\sigma(n)}n=\sum_{d\mid n}\frac1d=2.$$ QUESTION: Is my following conjecture true? Conjecture. (i) We have $\sum_{d\mid ...
3 votes
1 answer
134 views

Is it possible to find an estimate of $\sum_{k=1}^n\frac1{\varphi(k\cdot p_k)}$?

Is it possible to find an estimate of the summation $$s(n)=\sum_{k=1}^n\frac1{\varphi(k\cdot p_k)}$$ where $\varphi(n)$ is the totient function and $p_k$ the k-th prime? The corresponding series seems ...
2 votes
1 answer
349 views

Is there a smallest $r$ such that $n+\varphi(n)=\displaystyle \prod_{i=1}^r q_i$ always has solutions for mutually different odd primes $q_i $?

While discussing with Peter in one of the chatrooms on MSE I proposed an idea to try to find smallest natural number $r$ such that $n+\varphi(n)=\displaystyle \prod_{i=1}^r q_i$ has solutions for ...
7 votes
2 answers
447 views

Prove that two functions are equal only when $s \equiv \pm r^{\pm 1} \pmod{q}$

Let us fix a positive integer $q$, and let us define a functions $P: \mathbb{Z}\times \mathbb{N} \to \mathbb{Z}$ as follows: $$ P(s,t) := \sum_{j=1}^t \left\lfloor \frac{j (s-1) + t}{q} \right\rfloor$$...
5 votes
4 answers
2k views

Good books on arithmetic functions?

As I was studying the Möbius $\mu$ function and Gram series, I got myself some pretty nice books: Ribenboim - The New Book of Prime Number Records Apostol - Introduction to Analytic Number Theory ...
2 votes
0 answers
836 views

Polynomials for the indicator function

The (one-variable) indicator function (or characteristic function) is defined as $f_{t^*}:\mathbb{Z}_q\to \mathbb{Z}_q$ satisfying that $f_{t^*}(t)=1$ if $t=t^*$ and $f_{t^*}(t)=0$, otherwise. (Here $...
2 votes
0 answers
358 views

Mertens Bound and the Riemann Hypothesis

Let $M(x)$ denote the Mertens function ($M(x)=\sum_{i=1}^{x}\mu(i)$ where $\mu(i)$ is the Möbius function) and let $\Lambda(i)$ denote the Mangoldt function ($\Lambda(i)$ equals $\log(p)$ if $i=p^{m}$ ...
2 votes
0 answers
144 views

What is known about absolute convergence of Dirichlet inverses?

Given an arithmetic function $f$ such that the partial sums $\sum_{n \leq x} |f(n)|$ converge as $x$ approaches $\infty$, are there any results concerning the convergence properties of the series of ...
7 votes
1 answer
743 views

Generalization of a problem, involving radicals and the floor function, proposed by Ramanujan to the Journal of the Indian Mathematical Society

The section Solved problems from the Wikipedia Floor and ceiling functions shows several problems proposed by Ramanujan ([1]). The purpose of this post, if possible, is try to get the generalization ...