Perrons formula

In mathematics, and more particularly in analytic number

theory, Perrons formula is a formula due to Oskar Perx
ron to calculate the sum of an arithmetical function, by (s) = s
dx
s+1
x
1
means of an inverse Mellin transform.
and a similar formula for Dirichlet L-functions:

Statement

L(s, ) = s

Let {a(n)} be an arithmetic function, and let

A(x)
dx
xs+1

where
g(s) =

a(n)
ns
n=1

A(x) =

(n)
nx
be the corresponding Dirichlet series. Presume the
Dirichlet series to be uniformly convergent for (s) >
and (n) is a Dirichlet character. Other examples ap. Then Perrons formula is
pear in the articles on the Mertens function and the von
Mangoldt function.
c+i
z

1
x
A(x) =
a(n) =
g(z) dz.
2i ci
z

4 References

nx

Here, the prime on the summation indicates that the last

term of the sum must be multiplied by 1/2 when x is an
integer. The integral is not a convergent Lebesgue integral, it is understood as the Cauchy principal value. The
formula requires c > 0, c > , and x > 0 real, but otherwise
arbitrary.

Page 243 of Apostol, Tom M. (1976), Introduction to analytic number theory, Undergraduate Texts
in Mathematics, New York-Heidelberg: SpringerVerlag, ISBN 978-0-387-90163-3, MR 0434929,
Zbl 0335.10001
Weisstein, Eric W., Perrons formula, MathWorld.

Proof

Tenebaum, Grald (1995). Introduction to analytic

and probabilistic number theory. Cambridge Studies
in Advanced Mathematics 46. Translated by C.B.
Thomas. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
ISBN 0-521-41261-7. Zbl 0831.11001.

An easy sketch of the proof comes from taking Abels

sum formula

g(s) =

a(n)
=
s
A(x)x(s+1) dx.
s
n
0
n=1

This is nothing but a Laplace transform under the variable

change x = et . Inverting it one gets Perrons formula.

Examples

Because of its general relationship to Dirichlet series, the

formula is commonly applied to many number-theoretic
sums. Thus, for example, one has the famous integral
representation for the Riemann zeta function:
1

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