On Kronecker limit formulas for real quadratic fields (Q2469227)

In general, Kronecker limit formulas give the value of the constant term \(\rho\) of the Laurent expansion at \(s=1\) of a zeta function or of an \(L\)-series. For the Riemann zeta function and for the Dedekind zeta-functions of imaginary quadratic fields the formulas for \(\rho\) are classical. In the case of real quadratic fields the formulas have been proved by Hecke. In the paper under review, let \(\zeta(s, \mathfrak{C})\) be the partial zeta function attached to a ray class \(\mathfrak{C}\) of a real quadratic field. The author studies this zeta function at \(s=1\) and \(s=0\), combining some ideas and methods due to Zagier and Shintani. The main results are (1) a generalization of Zagier's formula for the constant term of the Laurent expansion at \(s=1\), (2) some expressions for the value and the first derivative at \(s=0\), related to the theory of continued fractions, and (3) a simple description of the behavior of Shintani's invariant \(X(\mathfrak{C})\), which is related to \(\zeta^\prime(0, \mathfrak{C})\), when changing the signature of \(\mathfrak{C}\).