The explicit formulas and evaluations of Ramanujan's theta-function \(\psi\) (Q2497350)

The theta function of the title is defined by \(\psi(q)= \sum^\infty_{m=-\infty} q^{m(m+1)/2}\). For positive real \(k,n\), and \(q=\exp(-\pi\sqrt{n/k})\), define the quotients \(l_{k,n}=k^{-1/4} q^{(1-k)/8}\psi(-q)/\psi(-q^k)\) and \(l_{k.n}'=k^{-1/4}q^{(1-k)/8} \psi(q)/\psi(q^k)\). These quotients are shown to be related to the Dedekind eta-function, the theta function \(\varphi(q)=\sum^\infty_{m=-\infty}q^{m^2}\), and the Ramanujan-Weber class invariant. The relations are used to evaluate the quotients explicitly for many special \(k\) and \(n\). These values, in turn, lead to explicit evaluations of \(\psi\). Examples are \[ l_{3,3}=3^{1/8} 2^{-1/4}(\sqrt 3+1)^{1/2},\quad l_{3,1/9}=(4^{1/4}-1)/\sqrt 3, \] \(\psi(-e^{-\pi})=2^{-3/4}e^{\pi/8} a\), \(\psi(e^{-\pi})=2^{-5/8}e^{\pi/8}a\), where \(a= \pi^{1/4}/ \Gamma(3/4)\). Applications are also given to continued fractions and to the modular invariant \(j\).