Ramanujan expansions revisited (Q1345845)

The usual Ramanujan expansions (1) \(g(a) = \sum^ \infty_{n=1} \hat g(n) c_ n(a)\), \(a \in \mathbb N\) are valid only for functions \(g\) that possess a mean value. So Ramanujan's classical example of the divisor function \(d(a) = - \sum^ \infty_{n=1} {\log n \over n} c_ n(a)\) escaped this theory. The article contains another direct approach to such expansions, which includes Ramanujan's example. It is shown, that the convergence of (1) for arbitrary coefficients \(\hat g(n)\) is equivalent to the convergence of all series \[ (\mu*g) (a) = a \sum^ \infty_{n=1} \hat g(an) \mu(n), \qquad a \in \mathbb N. \tag{2} \] Weak conditions on additive or multiplicative functions \(g\) are given, which guarantee the convergence of (2), hence of (1).