Lec15: Multiplicative Arithmetic Functions II

05 Apr 2023, MATH4024-Number Theory, Lecturer: Prof A. Munagi

1 Continuation
1.1. The Summatory Function. Let f be an arithmetic function.
P
Then F (n) = f (d) represents the sum of values of f at all the positive divisors of n.
d|n
The function F is called the summatory function of f .
Example.

If f (d) = d2 , then F (12) =

P 2
d = 12 + 22 + · · · + 122 = 210.
d|12

The summatory function of Euler’s phi function is very simple.

Theorem 1.1. Given a positive integer n, then

X
φ(n) = n.
d|n

Proof. Split the set {1, 2, . . . , n} into (equivalent) classes Cd such that q ∈ Cd if and
only if (q, n) = d.
Thus q ∈ Cd if and only if (q/d, n/d) = 1.
This implies that |Cd | = |{q | 1 ≤ q ≤ nd and (q, nd ) = 1}|, that is, |Cd | = φ(n/d).
Since the Cd are disjoint and each q ∈ {1, . . . , n} belongs to Cd for some d we have
X X
n= φ(n/d) = φ(n)
d|n d|n

P P
Exercise 1. Prove that for any integer n > 0, d= n/d.
d|n d|n

Exercise 2. Verify the proof of Theorem 1.1 with n = 18. Obtain the sets
Cd = {m | 18 and (m, 18) = d} for d = 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 18. Show that |Cd | = φ(18/d). Hence
verify the theorem directly.

The following theorem shortens multiplicativity proofs sometimes.

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Prof A. Munagi Lec15: Arithmetic Functions II MATH4024-Number Theory

Theorem 1.2. If f is a multiplicative function, then the summatory function

P
F (n) = d|n f (d) is also multiplicative.
Proof. We show that F is multiplicative, that is, if m, n ∈ Z+ with (m, n) = 1, then
F (mn) = F (m)F (n). P
Assume that (m, n) = 1 and let F (mn) = f (d).
d|mn
Since (m, n) = 1, if d|mn, then ∃ d1 , d2 with (d1 , d2 ) = 1 such that d = d1 d2 and
P
d1 |m, d2 |n. So we can write F (mn) = f (d1 d2 ).
d1 |m
d2 |n

Since f is multiplicative and (d1 , d2 ) = 1 we have

X
F (mn) = f (d1 )f (d2 )
d1 |m
d2 |n
X X
= f (d1 ) f (d2 )
d1 |m d2 |m

= F (m)F (n).

1.2. The Divisors Function.

The number of divisors function, denoted by τ , is defined by setting τ (n) equal to
the number of positive divisors of n:
X
τ (n) = 1.
d|n

E.g. τ (1) = 1, τ (2) = 2, τ (4) = 3, . . .. If p is prime, then τ (p) = 2 since the only
divisors are 1 and p. Earlier we saw the six divisors of 18, hence τ (18) = 6, etc.
The sum of divisors function, denoted by σ, is defined by setting σ(n) equal to the
sum of all the positive divisors of n:
X
σ(n) = d.
d|n

E.g. σ(1) = 1, σ(2) = 1 + 2 = 3, σ(4) = 1 + 2 + 4 = 7, . . .. If p is prime, then

σ(p) = p + 1. What is σ(18)?

What happens at prime powers?

Proposition 1.3. Let p be prime and a a positive integer. Then
τ (pa ) = a + 1
and
pa+1 − 1
σ(pa ) = 1 + p + p2 + · · · + pa = .
p−1

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Prof A. Munagi Lec15: Arithmetic Functions II MATH4024-Number Theory

Exercise 3. Prove Proposition 1.3.

It is easy to show that τ and σ are multiplicative functions, thanks to Theorem 1.2.

Corollary 1.4. The arithmetic functions τ and σ are multiplicative.

Proof. Define u(n) = 1 and I(n) = n. Both u and I are clearly multiplicative functions.
Thus from Theorem 1.2 it follows that τ and σ are multiplicative because
X X X X
τ (n) = 1= u(n) and σ(n) = d= I(d).
d|n d|n d|n d|n

Using Corollary 1.4 and Proposition 1.3 (with Exerc. 2, Lec14) we easily deduce
the following formulas.

Theorem 1.5. Let the prime-power factorization of n be n = pa11 pa22 · · · pakk . Then
k
Y
τ (n) = (a1 + 1)(a2 + 1) · · · (ak + 1) = (aj + 1)
j=1

and
k a +1
pa1 +1 − 1 pa22 +1 − 1 pak +1 − 1 Y pj
j
−1
σ(n) = 1 · ··· k = .
p1 − 1 p2 − 1 pk − 1 j=1
p j − 1

[Recall that we found the formula for τ earlier using a different method (how?).]

Examples. τ (200) = τ (23 · 52 ) = (3 + 1)(2 + 1) = 4 · 3 = 12.

24 − 1 53 − 1 15 124
σ(200) = σ(23 · 52 ) = · = · = 15 · 31 = 465.
2−1 5−1 1 4
Exercise 4. Show that if n = 720, then τ (n) = 30 and σ(n) = 2418.

Exercise 5. Compute σ(n) given that (a) n = 100, (b) n = 2100 (c) n = 2 · 3 · 5 · 7 · 11
(d) n = 25 · 34 · 53 · 72 · 11 (e) n = 10!.

Exercise 6. Compute τ (n) given that (a) n = 1144, (b) n = 2 · 3 · 5 · 7 · 11 · 13 · 17 · 19

(c) n = 2 · 32 · 53 · 74 · 115 · 134 · 175 · 195 (d) n = 10!.

Exercise 7. Which positive integers have an odd number of divisors?

Exercise 8. For which positive integers n is the sum of divisors odd?