q-identities for Maass waveforms (Q1101495)

The aim of this paper is to give a reinterpretation of theorems of \textit{G. E. Andrews}, \textit{F. J. Dyson} and \textit{D. Hickerson} in ``Partitions and indefinite quadratic forms'' [ibid. 91, No.3, 391-407 (1988; Zbl 0642.10012); see the preceding review] as a q-identity for a certain Maass waveform. It also extends and explains the existence of identities linking different quadratic fields. Also new related identities of different kind are given which may shed more light on Ramanujan's mock theta functions. Let \[ \sigma(q) = \sum_{n\geq 0}\frac{q^{n(n+1)/2}}{(1+q)(1+q^ 2)...(1+q^ n)} = 1+\sum_{n\geq 0}(-1)^ n q^{n+1}(1-q)...(1-q^ n). \] \[ \sigma^*(q)=2\sum_{n\geq 0}\frac{(-1)^ n q^{n^ 2}}{(1- q)(1-q^ 3)...(1-q^{2^ n-1})} = -2\sum_{n\geq 0}q^{n+1}(1-q^ 2)(1-q^ 4)...(1-q^{2n}). \] \[ \phi (q)=q^{1/24} \sigma (q)+q^{- 1/24} \sigma^*(q) = \sum_{n\in {\mathbb{Z}};n \equiv 1(mod 24)}T(n) q^{| n| /24}. \] It is shown that the main results of the above mentioned paper are equivalent to the following: For an ideal \({\mathfrak a}=(\alpha)\subset {\mathbb{Z}}[\sqrt{6}]\) co-prime to 6, where \(\alpha =x+y\sqrt{6}\), define \[ \chi_ 1({\mathfrak a}) = i^{yx^{- 1}}(\frac{12}{x})\text{ if y is even, } \chi_ 1({\mathfrak a}) = i^{yx^{-1}+1}(\frac{12}{x})\text{ if y is odd.} \] Then \(\chi_ 1\) is a well-defined character of order 2 and conductor \(4(3+\sqrt{6})\) on ideals of \({\mathbb{Z}}[\sqrt{6}]\) and furthermore setting \(\chi_ 1({\mathfrak a})=0\) if \({\mathfrak a}\) is not co-prime to 6, then \(\phi(q) = \sum_{{\mathfrak a}\subset {\mathbb{Z}}[\sqrt{6}]}\chi_ 1({\mathfrak a})q^{N{\mathfrak a}/24}.\) This is proved by showing that \(\chi_ 1({\mathfrak a}) = f(\alpha)\), where \(f(\alpha)\) is defined in the paper mentioned above.