Voronoi summation formula for the generalized divisor function $σ_{z}^{(k)}(n)$

Atul Dixit, Bibekananda Maji, Akshaa Vatwani

Published: 2023/3/17

Abstract

For a fixed $z\in\mathbb{C}$ and a fixed $k\in\mathbb{N}$, let $\sigma_{z}^{(k)}(n)$ denote the sum of $z$-th powers of those divisors $d$ of $n$ whose $k$-th powers also divide $n$. This arithmetic function is a simultaneous generalization of the well-known divisor function $\sigma_z(n)$ as well as the divisor function $d^{(k)}(n)$ first studied by Wigert. The Dirichlet series of $\sigma_{z}^{(k)}(n)$ does not fall under the purview of Chandrasekharan and Narasimhan's fundamental work on Hecke's functional equation with multiple gamma factors. Nevertheless, as we show here, an explicit and elegant Vorono\"{\dotlessi} summation formula exists for this function. As its corollaries, some transformations of Wigert are generalized. The kernel $H_{z}^{(k)}(x)$ of the associated integral transform is a new generalization of the Bessel kernel. Several properties of this kernel such as its differential equation, asymptotic behavior and its special values are derived. A crucial relation between $H_{z}^{(k)}(x)$ and an associated integral $K_{z}^{(k)}(x)$ is obtained, the proof of which is deep, and employs the theory of linear differential equations and the properties of Stirling numbers of the second kind and elementary symmetric polynomials.