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6 Exponential, Logarithmic, Sine, and Cosine IntegralsApplications

§6.16 Mathematical Applications

Contents

§6.16(i) The Gibbs Phenomenon

Consider the Fourier series

6.16.1\mathop{\sin\/}\nolimits x+\tfrac{1}{3}\mathop{\sin\/}\nolimits\!\left(3x%
\right)+\tfrac{1}{5}\mathop{\sin\/}\nolimits\!\left(5x\right)+\dots=\begin{%
cases}\frac{1}{4}\pi,&0<x<\pi,\\
0,&x=0,\\
-\frac{1}{4}\pi,&-\pi<x<0.\end{cases}

The nth partial sum is given by

where

By integration by parts

uniformly for x\in[-\pi,\pi]. Hence, if x is fixed and n\to\infty, then S_{n}(x)\to\frac{1}{4}\pi, 0, or -\frac{1}{4}\pi according as 0<x<\pi, x=0, or -\pi<x<0; compare (6.2.14).

These limits are not approached uniformly, however. The first maximum of \frac{1}{2}\mathop{\mathrm{Si}\/}\nolimits\!\left(x\right) for positive x occurs at x=\pi and equals (1.1789\dots)\times\frac{1}{4}\pi; compare Figure 6.3.2. Hence if x=\pi/(2n) and n\to\infty, then the limiting value of S_{n}(x) overshoots \frac{1}{4}\pi by approximately 18%. Similarly if x=\pi/n, then the limiting value of S_{n}(x) undershoots \frac{1}{4}\pi by approximately 10%, and so on. Compare Figure 6.16.1.

This nonuniformity of convergence is an illustration of the Gibbs phenomenon. It occurs with Fourier-series expansions of all piecewise continuous functions. See Carslaw (1930) for additional graphs and information.

See accompanying text
Figure 6.16.1: Graph of S_{n}(x), n=250, -0.1\leq x\leq 0.1, illustrating the Gibbs phenomenon. Magnify

§6.16(ii) Number-Theoretic Significance of \mathop{\mathrm{li}\/}\nolimits\!\left(x\right)

If we assume Riemann’s hypothesis that all nonreal zeros of \mathop{\zeta\/}\nolimits\!\left(s\right) have real part of \tfrac{1}{2}25.10(i)), then

where \pi(x) is the number of primes less than or equal to x. Compare §27.12 and Figure 6.16.2. See also Bays and Hudson (2000).

See accompanying text
Figure 6.16.2: The logarithmic integral \mathop{\mathrm{li}\/}\nolimits\!\left(x\right), together with vertical bars indicating the value of \pi(x) for x=10,20,\dots,1000. Magnify