Counting subrings of \(\mathbb {Z}^n\) of index \(k\) (Q868882)

Let \(n\) and \(k\) be positive integers. A subring of \(\mathbb Z^n\) is any additive subgroup that contains the multiplicative identity \(1=(1,\ldots,1)\) and is closed under multiplication. This paper deals with the question: How many index \(k\) subgroups of \(\mathbb Z^n\) are also subrings? This quantity is denoted by \(f_n(k)\). A very simple and useful property is that \(f_n(k_1k_2)=f_n(k_1)f_n(k_2)\) for all relatively prime integers \(k_1\) and \(k_2\). This result allows the author to restrict his attention to subrings of prime power index, which he discusses in terms of subrings of \(\mathbb Z_p^n\), where \(\mathbb Z_p\) is the ring of \(p\)-adic integers. A subring \(L\subset \mathbb Z_p^n\) of index \(p^e\) is called irreducible if for all \(x=(x_1,\ldots,x_n)\in L\), \(x_1\equiv x_2\equiv\ldots \equiv x_n \pmod p\). The author shows that any subring of \(\mathbb Z^n_p\) of finite index can be written uniquely as a direct sum of irreducible subrings \(L_i\subset\mathbb Z_p^{n_i}\). For fixed \(p\) and \(e\), \(f_n(p^e)\) is a polynomial in \(n\) of degree \(2e\) with leading coefficient \({1\over 2^ee!}\). One can calculate \(f_n(k)\) when \(k\) is not divisible by the sixth power of any prime. Let \(F_n(s)= \sum_{k:1}^{\infty}f_n(k)k^{-s}\) the Dirichlet series generating function. The author gives an explicit expression for \(F_n(s)\) for \(n\leq 4\). For instance, \(F_3(s)={\zeta(s)^3\zeta(3s-1)\over \zeta(2s)^2}\) where \(\zeta(s)\) denotes the Dirichlet series given by Riemann zeta-function.