The essential supremum for arithmetical almost-even functions (Q2277514)

Let \({\mathcal B}\) be the \({\mathbb{C}}\)-vector space spanned by Ramanujan's sums and \({\mathcal B}^ q\) the closure of \({\mathcal B}\) in \(\mathbb C^{\mathbb N}\) with respect to the semi-norm \[ \| f\|_ q=\left\{\limsup_{x\to \infty}\frac1x \sum_{n\leq x}| f(n)|^ q\right\}^{1/q}. \] The factor space modulo ``null-functions'' will be denoted by \(B^ q\). Using an \(L^ q\)-isomorphism theorem of \textit{J. Knopfmacher} [Ann. Mat. Pura Appl., IV. Ser. 109, 177--201 (1976; Zbl 0337.10033)] the first named author [Arch. Math. 53, 553--564 (1989; Zbl 0665.10031)] determined the topological dual space of \(B^ q\). In this paper the dual of \(B^ 1\) is calculated without applying Knopfmacher's theorem. Instead properties of the ``essential supremum'' for functions \(f\) in \({\mathcal B}^ 1\) are employed.