New theta constant identities (Q689846)

This paper offers an elegant identity amongst ``theta constants'' -- which are theta functions \(\theta(z,\tau)\) with \(z\) held constant. Here is the result: For \({\varepsilon \brack {\varepsilon'}}\in\mathbb{R}^ 2\), \(\tau\in\mathbb{H}\), \(z\in\mathbb{C}\), we define: \[ \theta{\varepsilon \brack {\varepsilon'}} (z,\tau)= \sum_{n\in\mathbb{Z}} \exp 2\pi i\left\{(1/2) \left(n+{\varepsilon\over 2}\right)^ 2 \tau+\left(n+ {\varepsilon\over 2}\right) \left(z+{{\varepsilon'} \over 2}\right)\right\}. \] Then the following theorem is given: \[ \sum_{l=1}^{l=p} (-1)^{l+1} \theta^ p {{1\over p} \brack {{{2l-1} \over p}}}(0,\tau)=0. \] The proof, based on the residue theorem, is succinct and well exposited.