Arch. Math.

85 (2005) 508–513
0003–889X/05/060508–6
DOI 10.1007/s00013-005-1322-1
© Birkhäuser Verlag, Basel, 2005 Archiv der Mathematik

On the value set of the Ramanujan function

By

Igor E. Shparlinski

Abstract. We give lower bounds on the number of distinct values of the Ramanujan function
τ (n), n
x, and on the number of distinct residues of τ (n), n
x, modulo a prime . We also show
that for any prime  the values τ (n), n
4 , form a finite additive basis modulo .

1. Introduction. Let τ (n) denote the Ramanujan function defined by the expansion
∞

∞

X (1 − X n )24 = τ (n)X n , |X| < 1.
n=1 n=1
For a real x  0 we denote by T (x) the value set
T (x) = {τ (n) | n
x}.
Also for a prime  we denote by T (x; ) the set of residues
T (x; ) = {τ (n) (mod ) | n
x}.
It is known that if   = 2, 3, 5, 7, 23, 691 and x is sufficiently large then #T (x; ) = ,
see [7]. An upper bound on the smallest value N for which #T (N ; ) =  can be derived
from the Chebotarev Density Theorem, see [5], [8], but it is rather poor, unless one assumes
the Extended Riemann Hypothesis.
Here we present some simple arguments which yield reasonably strong (taking into
account the scarsity of our knowledge about the behaviour of τ (n)) lower bounds for #T (x)
and #T (x; ). In particular our lower bound on #T (x; ) is nontrivial for any value of x.
Then we combine similar arguments with a recent bound of Bourgain, Katz and Tao [2]
to show that for some s the Waring type congruence with the Ramanujan function
τ (n1 ) + · · · + τ (ns ) ≡ a (mod )
is solvable for any a with some positive integers n1 , . . . , ns
4 .

Mathematics Subject Classification (2000): 11B50, 11F11, 11T23.

Partially supported by grant from Lithuanian Foundation of Studies and Science.
Vol. 85, 2005 On the value set of the Ramanujan function 509

Finally, using a result of Bourgain, Glibichuk and Konyagin [1] we show that the fractional
parts {τ (n)/}, n
x, are rather dense in the unit interval.
The following basic properties of τ (n) underlie our approach, which is similar to those
of [6], [9]:
• τ (n) is an integer-valued multiplicative function, that is, τ (m)τ (n) = τ (mn) if
gcd(m, n) = 1.
• For any prime p, and an integer r  0, τ (p r+2 ) = τ (p r+1 )τ (p) − p11 τ (p r ), where
τ (1) = 1.
In particular, the identity
(1) τ (p2 ) = τ (p)2 − p 11
plays a crucial role in our arguments.
It is also useful to recall that by the famous result of Deligne
(2) |τ (n)|
n11/2+o(1)
see [5].
Throughout the paper, the implied constants in the symbols “O”, “” and “” are
absolute (recall that the notations U  V and V  U are equivalent to the statement that
U = O(V ) for positive functions U and V ). We also use the symbol “o” with its usual
meaning: the statement U = o(V ) is equivalent to U/V → 0.

2. Lower Bounds on #T (x) and #T (x; )

).

Theorem 1. The following bound holds:

#T (x)  x 1/3+o(1) .

P r o o f. If τ (p) takes more than y values for p
x 1/2 then by the multiplicativity and
the bound
d(k) = k o(1)
on the number d(k) of integer divisors of an integer k  1, see [4, Theorem 317], we derive
that τ (p1 p2 ) takes at least y 2 x o(1) values.
Otherwise τ (p) = a for some a and at least π(x 1/2 )/y = x 1/2+o(1) y −1 primes p
x 1/2 .
Then for all such primes, we see from (1) that the values of τ (p2 ) are all distinct. Taking
y = x 1/6 we finish the proof.

The same simple argument, which has been used in the proof of Theorem 1 also works
for #T (x; ) however the bound is a little weaker.

Theorem 2. The following bound holds:

#T (x; )  min{1/2+o(1) , x 1/4+o(1) }.
510 I. E. Shparlinski arch. math.

P r o o f. Obviously it is enough to prove the result for x
2 . If τ (p) takes more than
y residues classes modulo  for p
x 1/2 then of course #T (x; )  y.
Otherwise we deduce that τ (p) ≡ a (mod ) for some a and at least π(x 1/2 )/y =
x 1/2+o(1) y −1 primes p
x 1/2 . Then for all such primes, by (1), we have

τ (p2 ) = τ (p)2 − p 11 ≡ a 2 − p 11 (mod ).

Clearly the total number of primes p
x 1/2
 with the same value of p 11 (mod ) is
at most 11. Therefore the number of distinct residue classes modulo  taken by τ (p 2 ) is at
least x 1/2+o(1) y −1 . Taking y = x 1/4 we finish the proof.

3. Waring Type Congruence for τ (n)

(n).

Theorem 3. There exists an absolute integer constant s  1 such that the congruence

τ (n1 ) + · · · + τ (ns ) ≡ a (mod )

is solvable for any a with some positive integers n1 , . . . , ns
4 .

P r o o f. We can assume that  is sufficiently large because otherwise the result is trivial.
We consider the sets

Sν = {τ (p ν ) | p
, p ≡ 1 (mod 4)}, ν = 1, 2.

Let y > 0 be an arbitrary real number.

First of all, assume that #S1  y. By [2], there is a constant α such that either the
cardinality of the set of sums of distinct elements of S1 satisfies

# {τ (p1 ) + τ (p2 ) | p1 , p2 ∈ S1 , p1  = p2 }  y 1+α ,

or the cardinality of the set of products of distinct elements of S1 satisfies

# {τ (p1 )τ (p2 ) | p1 , p2 ∈ S1 , p1  = p2 }  y 1+α .

On the other hand, if #S1 < y, then as in the proof of Theorem 2, we derive that

#S2  1+o(1) /y.

Taking y = 1/(2+α) we see that least one of the above sets, which we denote by U, is of
cardinality at least

#U  (1+β)/2+o(1)

where β = α/(2 + α).

Similarly, using primes p
 with p ≡ 3 (mod 4), we construct a set V, of cardinality
at least

#V  (1+β)/2+o(1) .
Vol. 85, 2005 On the value set of the Ramanujan function 511

Let us define e (z) = exp(2π iz/).

We now recall the well known bound of double exponential sums
 
  
 
(3) max  e (λuv)  (#U#V)1/2
gcd(λ,)=1  
u∈U v∈V
see, for example, Exercise 14.a in Chapter 6 of [10].
For the number Tr (a) of solutions to the congruence
u1 v1 + · · · + ur vr ≡ a (mod ),
where u1 , . . . , ur ∈ U, v1 , . . . , vr ∈ V, we derive
  1
−1
Tr (a) = e (λ (u1 v1 + · · · + ur vr − a))

u1 ,...,ur ∈U v1 ,...,vr ∈V λ=0
 r
1 
−1
= e (−λa) e (λuv)

λ=0 u∈U v∈V
 −1  r 
(#U#V)r 1     

= +O  e (λuv) .
   
λ=1 u∈U v∈V

Using (3), we obtain

(#U#V)r
Tr (a) = + O((#U#V)r/2 ).

Because #U#V  1+β+o(1) , we see that for r = 2β −1 + 1 > 2β −1 we have
(#U#V)r
Tr (a) = (1 + o(1)) .

Thus Tr (a) > 0 if  is large enough.
Recalling the multiplicativity of τ (n), we see that U and V both consist of the elements
either of the shape τ (p1 ) + τ (p2 ), or of the shape τ (p1 )τ (p2 ) = τ (p1 p2 ), or of the shape
τ (p2 ) for some primes p, p1 , p2 , and that by our construction the corresponding primes
are distinct in U and V. In particular, a product of two elements uv for u ∈ U and v ∈ V
is a sum of either of one, or two, or fours values of the τ -function, each with an argument
that does not exceed 4 . Therefore we obtain the desired result with either s = r or s = 2r
or s = 4r.

4. Distribution of Fractional Parts {τ (n)/}

(n)/}.

Theorem 1. There exist absolute constants A > 0 and α > 0 such that for any real
η ∈ [0, 1] there exist a positive integer n ≤ A with
  
 τ (n) 
 − η  −α .
 
512 I. E. Shparlinski arch. math.

P r o o f. We can assume that  is sufficiently large because otherwise the result is trivial.
As we have seen in the proof of Theorem 3, for the sets

Sν = {τ (p ν ) | p
2 }, ν = 1, 2,

we have

max{#S1 , #S2 }  1/2+o(1) .

Thus either for ν = 1 or for ν = 2 there exits a set P of t  1/2+o(1) primes p
2 such
that

S = {τ (pν ) | p ∈ P}

is of cardinality #S = #P = t  1/2+o(1) .
As before, let e (z) = exp(2π iz/). By Theorem 5 of [1] we see that there is an absolute
integer constant k  1 and an absolute real constant γ > 0 such that
 
 
  
max   e (λs1 · · · sk )  t k −γ .
gcd(λ,)=1  
s1 ,...,sk ∈S

Let

N = {n = p1ν . . . pkν | p1 < . . . < pk , p1 , . . . , pk ∈ P}.

Recalling that τ (n) is multiplicative, we obtain

  
e (λτ (n)) = e (λτ (p1ν · · · pkν )) = e (λs1 · · · sk )
n∈N p1 <...<pk s1 <...<sk
p1 ,...,pk ∈P s1 ,... ,sk ∈S
1 
= e (λs1 · · · sk ) + O(t k−1 ).
k!
s1 ,...,sk ∈S

Since t  1/2+o(1) and


t
#N =  tk,
k

we obtain
 
 
 
(4) max  e (λτ (n))  t k −γ + t k−1  t k −β  #N −β ,
gcd(λ,)=1  
n∈N

where β = min{γ , 1/3}. Then the result immediately follows from (4) with any α < β and
A = 2k.

Vol. 85, 2005 On the value set of the Ramanujan function 513

5. Remarks. Taking into account the expected rate of growth of τ (n), (it is expected
that the bound (2) reflects the correct order of magnitude of τ (n), see [5]) one can probably
safely assume that indeed #T (x) = x 1+o(1) or maybe even #T (x) = (1 + o(1))x.
It is also clear that having a good upper bound (of the shape ho(1) ) on the number of
solutions of the Diophantine equation u2 = v 11 + h would allow to improve the result
of Theorem 1 as #T (x)  x 1/2+o(1) . We remark that according to the famous uniformity
conjecture of L. Caporaso, J. Harris and B. Mazur [3], the number of solutions of this
equation should be bounded by an absolute constant for all h. Unfortunately, all known
bounds on the number of solutions of this and similar equations are of the form hO(1) , which
is too weak to be useful.
The results of Theorems 3 and 4 can easily be extended to the congruences
τ (n1 )m + · · · + τ (nr )m ≡ a (mod )
and to the fractional parts {τ (n)m /}. The bound of exponential sums of [1], which underlies
the proof of Theorem 4, can probably be made more explicit, which would immediately
lead to concrete numerical values for A and α in the result of Theorem 4.
A c k n o w l e d g e m e n t s. The author wishes to thank Florian Luca, Ram Murty and
René Schoof for useful discussions and references. This work was supported in part by
ARC grant DP0211459.

References

[1] J. Bourgain, A. A. Glibichuk and S. V. Konyagin, Estimates for the number of sums and products and
for exponential sums in fields of prime order. Preprint 2004.
[2] J. Bourgain, N. Katz and T. Tao, A sum-product estimate in finite fields and their applications. Geom.
Func. Anal. 14, 27–57 (2004).
[3] L. Caporaso, J. Harris and B. Mazur, Uniformity of rational points. J. Amer. Math. Soc. 10, 1–35 (1997).
[4] G. H. Hardy and E. M. Wright, An introduction to the theory of numbers. Oxford 1979.
[5] M. R. Murty, The Ramanujan τ function. Ramanujan Revisited, Proc. Illinois Conference on Ramanujan.
269–288 (1988).
[6] M. R. Murty, V. K. Murty and T. N. Shorey, Odd values of the Ramanujan τ -function. Bull. Soc. Math.
France. 115, 391–395 (1987).
[7] J-P. Serre, Congruences et formes modulaires [d’après H. P. F. Swinnerton-Dyer], LNM 317, 319–338
Berlin-Heidelberg-New York 1973.
[8] J-P. Serre, Quelques applications du théorème de densité de Chebotarev. Publ. Math. Inst. Hautes Étud.
Sci. 54, 123–201 (1981).
[9] T. N. Shorey, Ramanujan and binary recursive sequences. J. Indian Math. Soc. (N.S.), 52, 147–157 (1987).
[10] I. M. Vinogradov, Elements of number theory. Dover 1954.

Received: 6 October 2004

Igor E. Shparlinski
Department of Computing
Macquarie University
Sydney, NSW 2109
Australia
igor@ics.mq.edu.au