Tauberian Theorem and Prime Number Theorem

analytic-number-theory

Let $\theta(x)=\sum_{p\leq x}\log p$ be the chebyshev function. It is well know that $\lim_{x\to\infty}\frac{\theta(x)}{x}=1$ is equivalent to the prime number theorem: $\lim_{x\to\infty}\frac{\pi(x)}{x/\log x}=1$.

In Zagier's article: Newman's Short Proof of the Prime Number Theorem, Zagier proved that the integral
$$\int_1^\infty\frac{\theta(x)-x}{x^2}dx$$
is convergent and from this we can deduce $\lim_{x\to\infty}\frac{\theta(x)}{x}=1$.

More generally,
Let $A(x)$ be a real integrable function and
$$\int_1^\infty\frac{A(x)-cx}{x^2}dx$$
is convergent. If we assume that $A(x)$ is increasing and nonnegative or if there is another function $B(x)$ such that $B(x)$ and $B(x)-A(x)$ both increasiong and nonnegative and $\int_1^\infty\frac{B(x)-\beta x}{x^2}dx$ is convergent for some $\beta$, the result is correct(See Jameson's book: The Prime Number Theorem, proposition 3.4.1(page 130)).

My question is: Can we deduce $\lim_{x\to\infty}\frac{A(x)}{x}=c$ just from the convergence of the integral $\int_1^\infty\frac{A(x)-cx}{x^2}dx$?

Best Answer

If we replace $A(x)$ by $A(x)-cx$ we are asking if the convergence of $\int_1^\infty A(x)dx\,/x^2$ implies that $A(x)/x\to0$ as $x\to\infty$.

One can create counterexamples even with $A(x)\ge0$. Let $A(x)$ be zero save for "spikes" of height $n$ and width $1/n$ centred at $x=n$. Integrating such a spike will give you a constant $c$, and weighting the spike by $1/x^2$ will give an integral of order $O(1/n^2)$. This will enforce the convergence of $\int A(x)\,dx/x^2$. But $A(x)/x$ will oscillate between $0$ and $1$.

It is necessary in these types of Tauberian theorems to have some extra regularity on the functions involved.

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