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Lambert series

In mathematics, a Lambert series, named for Johann Heinrich Lambert, is a series taking the form

S(q)=\sum_{n=1}^\infty a_n \frac {q^n}{1-q^n}

It can be resummed formally by expanding the denominator:

S(q)=\sum_{n=1}^\infty a_n \sum_{k=1}^\infty q^{nk} = \sum_{m=1}^\infty b_m q^m

where the coefficients of the new series are given by the Dirichlet convolution of an with the constant function 1(n) = 1:

bm = (a * 1)(m) = an
n | m

Since this last sum is a typical number-theoretic sum, almost any multiplicative function will be exactly summable when used in a Lambert series. Thus, for example, one has

\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} q^n \sigma_0(n) = \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{q^n}{1-q^n}

where σ0(n) = d(n) is the number of positive divisors of the number n.

For the higher order sigma functions, one has

\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} q^n \sigma_\alpha(n) = \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{n^\alpha q^n}{1-q^n}

where α is any complex number and

σα(n) = (Idα * 1)(n) = dα
d | n

is the divisor function.

Lambert series in which the an are trigonometric functions, for example, an=sin(2n x), can be evaluated by various combinations of the logarithmic derivatives of Jacobi theta functions.

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