so that πΒ²οΌπβ²Β²οΌ1, we shall have
and, supposing for simplicity that ππ is a real negative quantity,
ππββΒ²οΌ2πͺ, πππββΒ²οΌ2ππͺβ², ποΌππͺβ²/πͺ,
the notation being that which is now usual for the elliptic functions. It is found that
From the last formula, by putting π’οΌ0, we obtain
,
and hence, by expanding both sides in ascending powers of π, and equating the coefficients of ππ, we arrive at a formula for the number of ways of expressing π as the sum of two squares. If πΏ is any odd divisor of π, including 1 and π itself if π is odd, we find as the coefficient of ππ in the expansion of the left-hand side 4πΊ(οΌ1)1/2(πΏοΌ1);
on the right-hand side the coefficient enumerates all the solutions ποΌ(Β±π₯)Β²οΌ(Β±π¦)Β², taking account of the different signs (except for 02)
and of the order in which the terms are written (except when π₯Β²οΌπ¦Β²).
Thus if π is an odd prime of the form 4ποΌ1, πΊ(οΌ1)1/2(πΏοΌ1)οΌ2, and the coefficient of ππ is 8, which is right, because the one possible composition ποΌπΒ²οΌπΒ² may be written ποΌ(Β±π)Β²οΌ(Β±π)Β²οΌ(Β±π)Β²οΌ(Β±π)Β², giving eight representations.
By methods of a similar character formulae can be found for the number of representations of a number as the sum of 4, 6, 8 squares respectively. The four-square theorem has been stated in Β§ 41; the eight-square theorem is that the number of representations of a number as the sum of eight squares is sixteen times the sum of the cubes of its factors, if the given number is odd, while for an even number it is sixteen times the excess of the cubes of the even factors above the cubes of the odd factors. The five-square and seven-square theorems have not been derived from π-series, but from the general theory of quadratic forms.
68. Still more remarkable results are deducible from the theory of the transformation of the theta functions. The elementary formulae are
where βοΌππ is to be taken in such a way that its real part is
positive. Taking the definition of π
given in Β§ 67, and considering
π
as a function of π, we find
π (ποΌ1)οΌππββΒ²/πββΒ²οΌππ (π)/π β²(π)
.
For convenience let π
Β²(π)οΌπ: then the substitutions (π,ποΌ1) and (π,οΌποΌ1) convert π into π/(ποΌ1) and (1οΌπ) respectively. Now if πΌ, π½, πΎ, πΏ are any real integers such that πΌπΏοΌπ½πΎοΌ1, the substitution
[π,(πΌποΌπ½)/(πΎποΌπΏ)] can be compounded of (π, ποΌ1) and (π,οΌποΌ1); the effect on π will be the same as if we apply a corresponding substitution compounded of [π, π/(ποΌ1)] and [π, 1οΌπ]. But these are periodic and of order 3, 2 respectively; therefore we cannot get more
than six values of π, namely
π, 1οΌπ, π/ποΌ1, 1/1οΌπ, ποΌ1/π, 1/π,
and any symmetrical function of these will have the same value at any two equivalent places in the modular dissection (Β§ 33). Their
sum is constant, but the sum of their squares may be put into the form
2(πΒ²οΌποΌ1)Β³/πΒ²(ποΌ1)Β²οΌ3;
hence (πΒ²οΌποΌ1)Β³Γ·πΒ²(ποΌ1)Β² has the same value at equivalent places. F. Klein writes
π©οΌ4(πΒ²οΌποΌ1)Β³/27πΒ²(ποΌ1)Β²;
this is a transcendental function of π, which is a special case of a Fuchsian or automorphic function. It is an analytical function of πΒ², and may be expanded in the form
π©οΌ1/1728{ποΌ2οΌ744οΌπβπΒ²οΌπβπβ΄οΌ . . . }
where πβ, πβ, &c., are rational integers.
69. Suppose, now, that π, π, π, π are rational integers, such that dv(π, π, π, π)οΌ1 and πποΌπποΌπ, a positive integer. Let (πποΌπ)/(πποΌπ)οΌπβ²; then the equation π©(πβ²)οΌπ©(π) is satisfied if and only if πβ²βΌ π, that is, if there are integers πΌ, π½, πΎ, πΏ such that πΌπΏοΌπ½πΎοΌ1, and
(πποΌπ)(πΎποΌπΏ)οΌ(πποΌπ)(πΌποΌπ½)οΌ0.
If we write π(π)οΌππ·(1οΌποΌ1), where the product extends to all prime factors (π) of π, it is found that the values of π fall into π(π) equivalent sets, so that when π is given there are not more than π(π) different values of π©(πβ²). Putting π©(πβ²)οΌπ©β², π©(π)οΌπ© we have a modular equation
πβ(π©β², π©)οΌ0
symmetrical in π©, π©β², with integral coefficients and of degree π(π).
Similarly when dv(π, π, π, π)οΌπ we have an equation ππ(π©β², π©)οΌ0 of order π(π/πΒ²); hence the complete modular equation for transformations of the πth order is
π₯(π©β²,π©)οΌπ·ππ(π©β², π©)οΌ0,
the degree of which is π½(π), the sum of the divisors of π.
Now if in π₯(π©β², π©) we put π©β²οΌπ©, the result is a polynomial in π© alone, which we may call π¦(π©). To every linear factor of π¦ corresponds a class of quadratic forms of determinant (π Β²οΌ4π) where π Β²οΌ4π and π is an integer or zero: conversely from every such form we can derive a linear factor (π©οΌπΌ) of π¦. Moreover, if with each form we associate its weight (Β§ 41) we find that with the notation of Β§ 39 the degree of π¦ is precisely πΊπ§(4ποΌπ Β²)οΌππ, where πποΌ1 when π is a square, and is zero in other cases. But this degree may be found in another way as follows. A complete representative set of transformations of order π is given by πβ²οΌ(πποΌπ)/π, with πποΌπ, 0β©½ποΌπ; hence
and by substituting for π©(π) and their values in terms of π, we find that the lowest term in the factor expressed above is either ποΌ2/1728 or ποΌ2π/π/1728, or a constant, according as ποΌπ, ποΌπ or ποΌπ. Hence if π is the order of π¦(π©), so that its expansion in π begins with a term in ποΌ2π we must have
extending to all divisors of π which exceed βπ. Comparing this with
the other value, we have
,
as stated in Β§ 39.
70. Each of the singular moduli which are the roots of π¦(π©)οΌ0 corresponds to exactly one primitive class of definite quadratic forms, and conversely.
Corresponding to every given negative determinant οΌπ« there is an irreducible equation π(π)οΌ0, where ποΌ1728π©, the coefficients of which are rational integers, and the degree of which is β(οΌπ«). The coefficient of the highest power of π is unity, so that π is an arithmetical integer, and its conjugate values belong one to each primitive class of determinant οΌπ«. By adjoining the square roots of the prime factors of π« the function π(π) may be resolved into the product of as many factors as there are genera of primitive classes, and the degree of each factor is equal to the number of classes in each genus. In particular, if {1, 1, 1/4(π«οΌ1)} is the only reduced form for the determinant οΌπ«, the value of π is a real negative rational cube. At the same time its approximate value is , so that, approximately, ππβπ«οΌπΒ³οΌ744 where π is a rational integer. For instance ππβ43οΌ884736743.9997775 . . . οΌ 960Β³οΌ744 very nearly, and for the class (1, 1, 11) the exact value of π is οΌ960Β³. Four and only four other similar determinants are known to exist, namely οΌ11, οΌ19, οΌ67, οΌ163, although thousands have been classified. According to Hermite the decimal part of ππβ163 begins with twelve nines; in this case Weber has shown that the exact value of π is οΌ2ΒΉβΈβ 3Β³β 5Β³β 23Β³β 29Β³.
71. The function π(π) is the most fundamental of a set of quantities called class-invariants. Let (π, π, π) be the representative of any class of definite quadratic forms, and let π be the root of ππ₯Β²οΌππ₯οΌποΌ0 which has a positive imaginary part; then π₯ (π) is said to be a class-invariant for (π, π, π) if for all real integers πΌ, π½, πΎ, πΏ such that πΌπΏοΌπ½πΎοΌ1. This is true for π(π) whatever π may be, and it is for this reason that π is so fundamental. But, as will be seen from the above examples, the value of π soon becomes so large that its calculation is impracticable. Moreover, there is the difficulty of constructing the modular equation πβ(π©, π©β²)οΌ0 (Β§ 69), which