Partial sums of the cotangent function (Q2199681)

Let \(h\) and \(k\) be relatively prime natural numbers. Let \(f:\mathbb{R}\to\mathbb{R}\) be a \(1\)-periodic function that is piecewise \(\mathcal{C}^1\) and continuous except possibly at \(d\) points. The authors derive reciprocity formulae, and consequently bounds and inequalities, for sums of the form \[ S_f\left(\frac{h}{k}\right) = \frac{1}{k} \sum_{m=1}^{k-1} f\left(\frac{m}{k}\right) \cot \left(\pi \frac{mh}{k}\right). \] For example, when \(f(x) = -\frac{1}{4}\cot(\pi x)\), the authors obtain the classical Dedekind sum. When \(f\) is a suitable indicator function, the authors obtain the partial cotangent sums \[C_{\ell}\left(\frac{h}{k}\right)=\frac{1}{k} \sum_{1\le m\le \ell} \cot \left(\pi\frac{mh}{k}\right),\] where \(1\le \ell<k\). (So the indicator function is chosen depending on \(k\) and \(\ell\).) Another closely related sum considered by the authors is the Vasyunin sum, \[ V\left(\frac{h}{k}\right) = \sum_{m=1}^{k-1}\cot \left(\pi \frac{m\overline{h}}{k}\right), \] where \(\overline{h}\) is the multiplicative inverse of \(h\pmod k\). While it is known that the classical Dedekind sum, the complete cotangent sum (i.e., with \(\ell =k-1\)), and the Vasyunin sum satisfy exact and relatively simple reciprocity formulae, the partial cotangent sums do not appear to have such ``pure reciprocity formulae.'' The authors give a non-exact reciprocity formula for the partial cotangent sums, and more generally for the sums \(S_f\). Reciprocity formulae for \(S_f\) are of interest because by repeatedly applying these formulae in a similar manner to the Euclidean algorithm one may obtain inequalities and bounds for \(S_f(h/k)\) in terms of the continued fraction expansion of \(h/k\). The authors' main application, which is published in a separate paper, is to the Kashaev invariant of the figure eight knot and via better understanding the value distribution of \(J(x) =\sum_{n=0}^{\infty} \prod_{r=1}^n |1-e^{2\pi i rx}|^2\) for \(x\in \mathbb{Q}\). The authors' proof of their main reciprocity formula relies on classical tools from the theory of Hurwitz and periodic zeta functions, and follows the same approach as Theorem 5 in [the first author and \textit{B. Conrey}, Algebra Number Theory 7, No. 1, 215--242 (2013; Zbl 1291.11111)].