Arithmetic characterization of regularly varying functions (Q1277630)

The function \(L:\mathbb{R}^+\to\mathbb{R}^+\) is slowly varying if, for all \(c>0\), \(L(cx)/L(x)\to 1\) as \(x\to\infty\), and \(f:\mathbb{R}^+\to\mathbb{R}^+\) is regularly varying of index \(\rho\) when \(f(x)=x^\rho L(x)\) for \(L\) slowly varying. The authors show that if \(f\) is a regularly varying function of index \(\rho>-1\), then \[ \sum_{n\leq x}f(n)= \left({1\over 1+\rho} +o(1) \right)xf(x). \tag{1} \] They obtain a converse of this result under additional conditions on \(f\). They go on to consider the analogous Tauberian problem when (1) is replaced by \[ \sum_{n\leq x}\sum_{p| n}f(p)= \left({\zeta(1+ \rho)\over 1+\rho} +o(1) \right)x {f(x)\over\log x}\tag{2} \] when \(\rho>0\); the corresponding Abelian result was established by the authors in [Ric. Mat. 39, 131-140 (1990; Zbl 0738.11049)]. It is shown that if \(f:[2,\infty)\to\mathbb{R}^+\) is differentiable, \(f(x)/(x^\rho\log x)\) is non-decreasing and (2) holds, then \(f\) is regularly varying of index \(\rho\). This is accomplished by establishing two more general results of independent interest, the proofs of which constitute the bulk of the paper.