In
number theory
Number theory is a branch of pure mathematics devoted primarily to the study of the integers and arithmetic functions. Number theorists study prime numbers as well as the properties of mathematical objects constructed from integers (for example ...
, an arithmetic, arithmetical, or number-theoretic function is generally any
function whose
domain is the set of
positive integers
In mathematics, the natural numbers are the numbers 0, 1, 2, 3, and so on, possibly excluding 0. Some start counting with 0, defining the natural numbers as the non-negative integers , while others start with 1, defining them as the positiv ...
and whose range is a
subset
In mathematics, a Set (mathematics), set ''A'' is a subset of a set ''B'' if all Element (mathematics), elements of ''A'' are also elements of ''B''; ''B'' is then a superset of ''A''. It is possible for ''A'' and ''B'' to be equal; if they a ...
of the
complex number
In mathematics, a complex number is an element of a number system that extends the real numbers with a specific element denoted , called the imaginary unit and satisfying the equation i^= -1; every complex number can be expressed in the for ...
s. Hardy & Wright include in their definition the requirement that an arithmetical function "expresses some arithmetical property of ''n''". There is a larger class of number-theoretic functions that do not fit this definition, for example, the
prime-counting functions. This article provides links to functions of both classes.
An example of an arithmetic function is the
divisor function
In mathematics, and specifically in number theory, a divisor function is an arithmetic function related to the divisors of an integer. When referred to as ''the'' divisor function, it counts the ''number of divisors of an integer'' (includi ...
whose value at a positive integer ''n'' is equal to the number of divisors of ''n''.
Arithmetic functions are often extremely irregular (see
table), but some of them have series expansions in terms of
Ramanujan's sum.
Multiplicative and additive functions
An arithmetic function ''a'' is
*
completely additive if ''a''(''mn'') = ''a''(''m'') + ''a''(''n'') for all natural numbers ''m'' and ''n'';
*
completely multiplicative if ''a''(1) = 1 and ''a''(''mn'') = ''a''(''m'')''a''(''n'') for all natural numbers ''m'' and ''n'';
Two whole numbers ''m'' and ''n'' are called
coprime
In number theory, two integers and are coprime, relatively prime or mutually prime if the only positive integer that is a divisor of both of them is 1. Consequently, any prime number that divides does not divide , and vice versa. This is equiv ...
if their
greatest common divisor
In mathematics, the greatest common divisor (GCD), also known as greatest common factor (GCF), of two or more integers, which are not all zero, is the largest positive integer that divides each of the integers. For two integers , , the greatest co ...
is 1, that is, if there is no
prime number
A prime number (or a prime) is a natural number greater than 1 that is not a Product (mathematics), product of two smaller natural numbers. A natural number greater than 1 that is not prime is called a composite number. For example, 5 is prime ...
that divides both of them.
Then an arithmetic function ''a'' is
*
additive if ''a''(''mn'') = ''a''(''m'') + ''a''(''n'') for all coprime natural numbers ''m'' and ''n'';
*
multiplicative if ''a''(1) = 1 and ''a''(''mn'') = ''a''(''m'')''a''(''n'') for all coprime natural numbers ''m'' and ''n''.
Notation
In this article,
and
mean that the sum or product is over all
prime number
A prime number (or a prime) is a natural number greater than 1 that is not a Product (mathematics), product of two smaller natural numbers. A natural number greater than 1 that is not prime is called a composite number. For example, 5 is prime ...
s:
and
Similarly,
and
mean that the sum or product is over all
prime powers with strictly positive exponent (so is not included):
The notations
and
mean that the sum or product is over all positive divisors of ''n'', including 1 and ''n''. For example, if , then
The notations can be combined:
and
mean that the sum or product is over all prime divisors of ''n''. For example, if ''n'' = 18, then
and similarly
and
mean that the sum or product is over all prime powers dividing ''n''. For example, if ''n'' = 24, then
Ω(''n''), ''ω''(''n''), ''ν''''p''(''n'') – prime power decomposition
The
fundamental theorem of arithmetic
In mathematics, the fundamental theorem of arithmetic, also called the unique factorization theorem and prime factorization theorem, states that every integer greater than 1 is prime or can be represented uniquely as a product of prime numbers, ...
states that any positive integer ''n'' can be represented uniquely as a product of powers of primes:
where ''p''
1 < ''p''
2 < ... < ''p''
''k'' are primes and the ''a
j'' are positive integers. (1 is given by the empty product.)
It is often convenient to write this as an infinite product over all the primes, where all but a finite number have a zero exponent. Define the
''p''-adic valuation ν
''p''(''n'') to be the exponent of the highest power of the prime ''p'' that divides ''n''. That is, if ''p'' is one of the ''p''
''i'' then ''ν''
''p''(''n'') = ''a''
''i'', otherwise it is zero. Then
In terms of the above the
prime omega functions ''ω'' and Ω are defined by
To avoid repetition, formulas for the functions listed in this article are, whenever possible, given in terms of ''n'' and the corresponding ''p''
''i'', ''a''
''i'', ''ω'', and Ω.
Multiplicative functions
''σ''''k''(''n''), ''τ''(''n''), ''d''(''n'') – divisor sums
σ''k''(''n'') is the sum of the ''k''th powers of the positive divisors of ''n'', including 1 and ''n'', where ''k'' is a complex number.
''σ''
1(''n''), the sum of the (positive) divisors of ''n'', is usually denoted by ''σ''(''n'').
Since a positive number to the zero power is one, ''σ''
0(''n'') is therefore the number of (positive) divisors of ''n''; it is usually denoted by ''d''(''n'') or ''τ''(''n'') (for the German ''Teiler'' = divisors).
Setting ''k'' = 0 in the second product gives
''φ''(''n'') – Euler totient function
''φ''(''n''), the Euler totient function, is the number of positive integers not greater than ''n'' that are coprime to ''n''.
''J''''k''(''n'') – Jordan totient function
''J''''k''(''n''), the Jordan totient function, is the number of ''k''-tuples of positive integers all less than or equal to ''n'' that form a coprime (''k'' + 1)-tuple together with ''n''. It is a generalization of Euler's totient, .
''μ''(''n'') – Möbius function
''μ''(''n''), the Möbius function, is important because of the
Möbius inversion formula. See ', below.
This implies that ''μ''(1) = 1. (Because Ω(1) = ''ω''(1) = 0.)
''τ''(''n'') – Ramanujan tau function
''τ''(''n''), the Ramanujan tau function, is defined by its
generating function
In mathematics, a generating function is a representation of an infinite sequence of numbers as the coefficients of a formal power series. Generating functions are often expressed in closed form (rather than as a series), by some expression invo ...
identity:
Although it is hard to say exactly what "arithmetical property of ''n''" it "expresses", (''τ''(''n'') is (2''π'')
−12 times the ''n''th Fourier coefficient in the
''q''-expansion of the
modular discriminant function) it is included among the arithmetical functions because it is multiplicative and it occurs in identities involving certain ''σ''
''k''(''n'') and ''r''
''k''(''n'') functions (because these are also coefficients in the expansion of
modular form
In mathematics, a modular form is a holomorphic function on the complex upper half-plane, \mathcal, that roughly satisfies a functional equation with respect to the group action of the modular group and a growth condition. The theory of modul ...
s).
''c''''q''(''n'') – Ramanujan's sum
''c''''q''(''n''), Ramanujan's sum, is the sum of the ''n''th powers of the primitive ''q''th
roots of unity
In mathematics, a root of unity is any complex number that yields 1 when raised to some positive integer power . Roots of unity are used in many branches of mathematics, and are especially important in number theory, the theory of group char ...
:
Even though it is defined as a sum of complex numbers (irrational for most values of ''q''), it is an integer. For a fixed value of ''n'' it is multiplicative in ''q'':
: If ''q'' and ''r'' are coprime, then
''ψ''(''n'') – Dedekind psi function
The
Dedekind psi function, used in the theory of
modular functions, is defined by the formula
Completely multiplicative functions
''λ''(''n'') – Liouville function
''λ''(''n''), the Liouville function, is defined by
''χ''(''n'') – characters
All
Dirichlet characters ''χ''(''n'') are completely multiplicative. Two characters have special notations:
The principal character (mod ''n'') is denoted by ''χ''
0(''a'') (or ''χ''
1(''a'')). It is defined as
The quadratic character (mod ''n'') is denoted by the
Jacobi symbol for odd ''n'' (it is not defined for even ''n''):
In this formula
is the
Legendre symbol
In number theory, the Legendre symbol is a multiplicative function with values 1, −1, 0 that is a quadratic character modulo of an odd prime number ''p'': its value at a (nonzero) quadratic residue mod ''p'' is 1 and at a non-quadratic re ...
, defined for all integers ''a'' and all odd primes ''p'' by
Following the normal convention for the empty product,
Additive functions
''ω''(''n'') – distinct prime divisors
''ω''(''n''), defined above as the number of distinct primes dividing ''n'', is additive (see ''
Prime omega function'').
Completely additive functions
Ω(''n'') – prime divisors
Ω(''n''), defined above as the number of prime factors of ''n'' counted with multiplicities, is completely additive (see
Prime omega function).
''ν''''p''(''n'') – ''p''-adic valuation of an integer ''n''
For a fixed prime ''p'', ''ν''
''p''(''n''), defined above as the exponent of the largest power of ''p'' dividing ''n'', is completely additive.
Logarithmic derivative
, where
is the arithmetic derivative.
Neither multiplicative nor additive
''π''(''x''), Π(''x''), ''ϑ''(''x''), ''ψ''(''x'') – prime-counting functions
These important functions (which are not arithmetic functions) are defined for non-negative real arguments, and are used in the various statements and proofs of the
prime number theorem
In mathematics, the prime number theorem (PNT) describes the asymptotic analysis, asymptotic distribution of the prime numbers among the positive integers. It formalizes the intuitive idea that primes become less common as they become larger by p ...
. They are summation functions (see the main section just below) of arithmetic functions which are neither multiplicative nor additive.
''π''(''x''), the
prime-counting function, is the number of primes not exceeding ''x''. It is the summation function of the
characteristic function of the prime numbers.
A related function counts prime powers with weight 1 for primes, 1/2 for their squares, 1/3 for cubes, etc. It is the summation function of the arithmetic function which takes the value 1/''k'' on integers which are the ''k''th power of some prime number, and the value 0 on other integers.
''ϑ''(''x'') and ''ψ''(''x''), the
Chebyshev functions, are defined as sums of the natural logarithms of the primes not exceeding ''x''.
The second Chebyshev function ''ψ''(''x'') is the summation function of the von Mangoldt function just below.
Λ(''n'') – von Mangoldt function
Λ(''n''), the von Mangoldt function, is 0 unless the argument ''n'' is a prime power , in which case it is the natural logarithm of the prime ''p'':
''p''(''n'') – partition function
''p''(''n''), the partition function, is the number of ways of representing ''n'' as a sum of positive integers, where two representations with the same summands in a different order are not counted as being different:
''λ''(''n'') – Carmichael function
''λ''(''n''), the Carmichael function, is the smallest positive number such that
for all ''a'' coprime to ''n''. Equivalently, it is the
least common multiple
In arithmetic and number theory, the least common multiple (LCM), lowest common multiple, or smallest common multiple (SCM) of two integers ''a'' and ''b'', usually denoted by , is the smallest positive integer that is divisible by both ''a'' and ...
of the orders of the elements of the
multiplicative group of integers modulo ''n''.
For powers of odd primes and for 2 and 4, ''λ''(''n'') is equal to the Euler totient function of ''n''; for powers of 2 greater than 4 it is equal to one half of the Euler totient function of ''n'':
and for general ''n'' it is the least common multiple of ''λ'' of each of the prime power factors of ''n'':
''h''(''n'') – class number
''h''(''n''), the class number function, is the order of the
ideal class group
In mathematics, the ideal class group (or class group) of an algebraic number field K is the quotient group J_K/P_K where J_K is the group of fractional ideals of the ring of integers of K, and P_K is its subgroup of principal ideals. The ...
of an algebraic extension of the rationals with
discriminant
In mathematics, the discriminant of a polynomial is a quantity that depends on the coefficients and allows deducing some properties of the zero of a function, roots without computing them. More precisely, it is a polynomial function of the coef ...
''n''. The notation is ambiguous, as there are in general many extensions with the same discriminant. See
quadratic field
In algebraic number theory, a quadratic field is an algebraic number field of Degree of a field extension, degree two over \mathbf, the rational numbers.
Every such quadratic field is some \mathbf(\sqrt) where d is a (uniquely defined) square-free ...
and
cyclotomic field
In algebraic number theory, a cyclotomic field is a number field obtained by adjoining a complex root of unity to \Q, the field of rational numbers.
Cyclotomic fields played a crucial role in the development of modern algebra and number theory ...
for classical examples.
''r''''k''(''n'') – sum of ''k'' squares
''r''''k''(''n'') is the number of ways ''n'' can be represented as the sum of ''k'' squares, where representations that differ only in the order of the summands or in the signs of the square roots are counted as different.
''D''(''n'') – Arithmetic derivative
Using the
Heaviside notation for the derivative, the
arithmetic derivative ''D''(''n'') is a function such that
*
if ''n'' prime, and
*
(the
product rule)
Summation functions
Given an arithmetic function ''a''(''n''), its summation function ''A''(''x'') is defined by
''A'' can be regarded as a function of a real variable. Given a positive integer ''m'', ''A'' is constant along
open interval
In mathematics, a real interval is the set (mathematics), set of all real numbers lying between two fixed endpoints with no "gaps". Each endpoint is either a real number or positive or negative infinity, indicating the interval extends without ...
s ''m'' < ''x'' < ''m'' + 1, and has a
jump discontinuity
Continuous functions are of utmost importance in mathematics, functions and applications. However, not all Function (mathematics), functions are continuous. If a function is not continuous at a limit point (also called "accumulation point" or "clu ...
at each integer for which ''a''(''m'') ≠ 0.
Since such functions are often represented by series and integrals, to achieve pointwise convergence it is usual to define the value at the discontinuities as the average of the values to the left and right:
Individual values of arithmetic functions may fluctuate wildly – as in most of the above examples. Summation functions "smooth out" these fluctuations. In some cases it may be possible to find
asymptotic behaviour for the summation function for large ''x''.
A classical example of this phenomenon is given by the
divisor summatory function, the summation function of ''d''(''n''), the number of divisors of ''n'':
An
average order of an arithmetic function is some simpler or better-understood function which has the same summation function asymptotically, and hence takes the same values "on average". We say that ''g'' is an ''average order'' of ''f'' if
as ''x'' tends to infinity. The example above shows that ''d''(''n'') has the average order log(''n'').
Dirichlet convolution
Given an arithmetic function ''a''(''n''), let ''F''
''a''(''s''), for complex ''s'', be the function defined by the corresponding
Dirichlet series
In mathematics, a Dirichlet series is any series of the form
\sum_^\infty \frac,
where ''s'' is complex, and a_n is a complex sequence. It is a special case of general Dirichlet series.
Dirichlet series play a variety of important roles in anal ...
(where it
converges):
''F''
''a''(''s'') is called a
generating function
In mathematics, a generating function is a representation of an infinite sequence of numbers as the coefficients of a formal power series. Generating functions are often expressed in closed form (rather than as a series), by some expression invo ...
of ''a''(''n''). The simplest such series, corresponding to the constant function ''a''(''n'') = 1 for all ''n'', is ''ζ''(''s'') the
Riemann zeta function.
The generating function of the Möbius function is the inverse of the zeta function:
Consider two arithmetic functions ''a'' and ''b'' and their respective generating functions ''F''
''a''(''s'') and ''F''
''b''(''s''). The product ''F''
''a''(''s'')''F''
''b''(''s'') can be computed as follows:
It is a straightforward exercise to show that if ''c''(''n'') is defined by
then
This function ''c'' is called the
Dirichlet convolution of ''a'' and ''b'', and is denoted by
.
A particularly important case is convolution with the constant function ''a''(''n'') = 1 for all ''n'', corresponding to multiplying the generating function by the zeta function:
Multiplying by the inverse of the zeta function gives the
Möbius inversion formula:
If ''f'' is multiplicative, then so is ''g''. If ''f'' is completely multiplicative, then ''g'' is multiplicative, but may or may not be completely multiplicative.
Relations among the functions
There are a great many formulas connecting arithmetical functions with each other and with the functions of analysis, especially powers, roots, and the exponential and log functions. The page
divisor sum identities contains many more generalized and related examples of identities involving arithmetic functions.
Here are a few examples:
Dirichlet convolutions
:
where ''λ'' is the Liouville function.
:
::
Möbius inversion
:
::
Möbius inversion
:
:
:
::
Möbius inversion
:
::
Möbius inversion
:
::
Möbius inversion
:
:
where λ is the
Liouville function.
:
::
Möbius inversion
Sums of squares
For all
(
Lagrange's four-square theorem
Lagrange's four-square theorem, also known as Bachet's conjecture, states that every natural number, nonnegative integer can be represented as a sum of four non-negative integer square number, squares. That is, the squares form an additive basi ...
).
:
where the
Kronecker symbol has the values
:
There is a formula for ''r''
3 in the section on
class numbers below.
where .
where
[Hardy & Wright, § 20.13]
Define the function as
That is, if ''n'' is odd, is the sum of the ''k''th powers of the divisors of ''n'', that is, and if ''n'' is even it is the sum of the ''k''th powers of the even divisors of ''n'' minus the sum of the ''k''th powers of the odd divisors of ''n''.
:
Adopt the convention that Ramanujan's if ''x'' is not an integer.
:
Divisor sum convolutions
Here "convolution" does not mean "Dirichlet convolution" but instead refers to the formula for the coefficients of the
product of two power series:
:
The sequence
is called the
convolution
In mathematics (in particular, functional analysis), convolution is a operation (mathematics), mathematical operation on two function (mathematics), functions f and g that produces a third function f*g, as the integral of the product of the two ...
or the
Cauchy product
In mathematics, more specifically in mathematical analysis, the Cauchy product is the discrete convolution of two infinite series. It is named after the French mathematician Augustin-Louis Cauchy.
Definitions
The Cauchy product may apply to infin ...
of the sequences ''a''
''n'' and ''b''
''n''.
These formulas may be proved analytically (see
Eisenstein series) or by elementary methods.
:
[Ramanujan, ''On Certain Arithmetical Functions'', Table IV; ''Papers'', p. 146]
:
[Koblitz, ex. III.2.8]
:
:
:
where ''τ''(''n'') is Ramanujan's function.
Since ''σ''
''k''(''n'') (for natural number ''k'') and ''τ''(''n'') are integers, the above formulas can be used to prove congruences for the functions. See
Ramanujan tau function for some examples.
Extend the domain of the partition function by setting
:
This recurrence can be used to compute ''p''(''n'').
Class number related
Peter Gustav Lejeune Dirichlet
Johann Peter Gustav Lejeune Dirichlet (; ; 13 February 1805 – 5 May 1859) was a German mathematician. In number theory, he proved special cases of Fermat's last theorem and created analytic number theory. In analysis, he advanced the theory o ...
discovered formulas that relate the class number ''h'' of
quadratic number fields to the Jacobi symbol.
An integer ''D'' is called a fundamental discriminant if it is the
discriminant
In mathematics, the discriminant of a polynomial is a quantity that depends on the coefficients and allows deducing some properties of the zero of a function, roots without computing them. More precisely, it is a polynomial function of the coef ...
of a quadratic number field. This is equivalent to ''D'' ≠ 1 and either a) ''D'' is
squarefree and ''D'' ≡ 1 (mod 4) or b) ''D'' ≡ 0 (mod 4), ''D''/4 is squarefree, and ''D''/4 ≡ 2 or 3 (mod 4).
Extend the Jacobi symbol to accept even numbers in the "denominator" by defining the
Kronecker symbol:
Then if ''D'' < −4 is a fundamental discriminant
There is also a formula relating ''r''
3 and ''h''. Again, let ''D'' be a fundamental discriminant, ''D'' < −4. Then
Prime-count related
Let
be the ''n''th
harmonic number
In mathematics, the -th harmonic number is the sum of the reciprocals of the first natural numbers:
H_n= 1+\frac+\frac+\cdots+\frac =\sum_^n \frac.
Starting from , the sequence of harmonic numbers begins:
1, \frac, \frac, \frac, \frac, \dot ...
. Then
:
is true for every natural number ''n'' if and only if the
Riemann hypothesis
In mathematics, the Riemann hypothesis is the conjecture that the Riemann zeta function has its zeros only at the negative even integers and complex numbers with real part . Many consider it to be the most important unsolved problem in pure ...
is true.
The Riemann hypothesis is also equivalent to the statement that, for all ''n'' > 5040,
(where γ is the
Euler–Mascheroni constant). This is
Robin's theorem.
:
:
:
:
:
Menon's identity
In 1965
P Kesava Menon proved
This has been generalized by a number of mathematicians. For example,
* B. Sury
* N. Rao
where ''a''
1, ''a''
2, ..., ''a''
''s'' are integers, gcd(''a''
1, ''a''
2, ..., ''a''
''s'', ''n'') = 1.
*
László Fejes Tóth where ''m''
1 and ''m''
2 are odd, ''m'' = lcm(''m''
1, ''m''
2).
In fact, if ''f'' is any arithmetical function
where
stands for Dirichlet convolution.
Miscellaneous
Let ''m'' and ''n'' be distinct, odd, and positive. Then the Jacobi symbol satisfies the law of
quadratic reciprocity
In number theory, the law of quadratic reciprocity is a theorem about modular arithmetic that gives conditions for the solvability of quadratic equations modulo prime numbers. Due to its subtlety, it has many formulations, but the most standard st ...
:
Let ''D''(''n'') be the arithmetic derivative. Then the logarithmic derivative
See ''
Arithmetic derivative'' for details.
Let ''λ''(''n'') be Liouville's function. Then
:
and
:
Let ''λ''(''n'') be Carmichael's function. Then
:
Further,
:
See
Multiplicative group of integers modulo n
In modular arithmetic, the integers coprime (relatively prime) to ''n'' from the set \ of ''n'' non-negative integers form a group under multiplication modulo ''n'', called the multiplicative group of integers modulo ''n''. Equivalently, the el ...
and
Primitive root modulo n
In modular arithmetic, a number is a primitive root modulo if every number coprime to is congruent to a power of modulo . That is, is a ''primitive root modulo'' if for every integer coprime to , there is some integer for which ...
.
:
:
:
Note that
:
:
:
Compare this with
:
:
:
where ''τ''(''n'') is Ramanujan's function.
[Apostol, ''Modular Functions ...'', ch. 6 eq. 3]
First 100 values of some arithmetic functions
Notes
References
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Further reading
*
External links
*
* Matthew Holden, Michael Orrison, Michael Varbl
Yet another Generalization of Euler's Totient Function* Huard, Ou, Spearman, and Williams
Elementary Evaluation of Certain Convolution Sums Involving Divisor Functions
* Dineva, Rosica
The Euler Totient, the Möbius, and the Divisor Functions
* László Tóth
Menon's Identity and arithmetical sums representing functions of several variables
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