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Imagine a mathematician wants to create this function:

$$F(s)=\sum_{n=0}^{\infty} \frac{1}{(n^2+1)^s}$$

Where would he start?

More precisely, how would he know the exact values of $F(s)$ for $s> 0$? And how would he extend this result for every natural $s$? And for real $s$?

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    Maybe you meant $n^\alpha$ instead of $n^2$ in the definition of the "zeta function above. ?2017-01-01
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    @mathbeing Nope. My aim there was to create a new function not studied before, to see the method used to analyse any totally new function2017-01-01
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    Most functions do not work the same way Riemann's did. So they will need different methods than Riemann used. A few functions do have properties so much like Riemann's that they are called "zeta functions," but I am afraid yours is not one of them.2017-01-01
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    @GEdgar Why? I mean, this function seems very similar to the Prime Zeta Function. And if we cannot use the same method, how would we analyse it?2017-01-01
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    @user3141592 What is similar between this and the Prime zeta function? I've already looked at this, and so has WolframAlpha. AFAIK, this function is not known in terms of other special functions.2017-01-01
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    @SimpleArt he changed his function 3 times. And WA is very bad with Dirichlet series2017-01-01
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    @user1952009 That would definitely explain a few things.2017-01-01
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    @user1952009 It was not me the one who changed it the last times. Stop making noise please2017-01-01
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    @user1952009 I had changed it before your answer was posted2017-01-01
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    Aha! I done did it! Closed form solution for arbitrary $s\in\mathbb N$ is given below now.2017-01-01
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    *How does a mathematician create a new zeta function?* I believe that also is possible using a property of the Mellin transform, when is applied to an harmonic series.2017-01-02
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    If I may, I have updated my answer...2017-01-07
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    @user243301 i think he means discover or derive.2017-01-14
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    I am saying the first paragraphs, that are the formula (6) and the comment in *italic*, in page 4 of Flajolet and Gourdon and Dumas, *Mellin Transforms and Asymptotics: Harmonic sums*. Then I undersand (and I don't know this theory) that if you know how compute the Mellin transfor, of $G(x)$ and $g(x)$ you can define implicitement a *zeta function* using the formula (6). I try force me to study these tools because I believe that are modern tools. Many thanks for your attention @TheGreatDuck2017-01-14
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    @user243301 I'm just a random guy browsing the site. I don't even know what you just said. It just seemed like you were pointing out nothing is created but merely discovered and I was saying to not be to picky. I'm sure that's what the OP meant.2017-01-14
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    @TheGreatDuck then you are right. In Wikipedia there is an entry [List of zeta functions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_zeta_functions), my purpose was provide my viewpoint. I don't know very well *what's a zeta function*.2017-01-14

4 Answers 4

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Update:

If one may recall the following series:

$$\sum_{n=0}^\infty\frac1{n^2+x}=\frac1{2x}+\frac\pi{2\sqrt x\tanh(\pi\sqrt x)}$$

Then differentiating both sides $k$ times yields

$$\sum_{n=0}^\infty\frac1{(n^2+x)^{k+1}}=\frac1{2x^{k+1}}+\frac{(-1)^k\pi}{2\times k!}\frac{d^k}{dx^k}\frac1{\sqrt x\tanh(\pi\sqrt x)}$$

and evaluation at $x=1$ gives closed forms.

Update:

Using general Leibniz rule, we have

$$\frac{d^k}{dx^k}\frac{\coth(\pi\sqrt x)}{\sqrt x}=\sum_{p=0}^k\binom kp\frac{\Gamma(3/2+n-p)}{-2\sqrt\pi}(-1)^{n-p}x^{-1/2-n+p}(\coth(\pi\sqrt x))^{(p)}$$

We can handle the chain rule with the $n$th derivative of $\coth$ using Faà di Bruno's formula,

$$\small(\coth(\pi\sqrt x))^{(p)}=\sum_{q=1}^n\coth^{(q)}(\pi\sqrt x)B_{p,q}\left(\pi\frac12x^{-1/2},-\pi\frac14x^{-1/2},\dots,\sqrt\pi\frac{\Gamma(3/2+q)}{-4}(-1)^qx^{-1/2-q}\right)$$

where $B_{n,k}$ is the bell polynomial. The $q$th derivative of $\coth$ is then given when $q\ge1$:

$$\coth^{(q)}(x)=2^q(\coth(x)-1)\sum_{r=0}^q\frac{(-1)^rr!S_q^{(r)}}{2^r}(\coth(x)+1)^r$$

Putting all of this together,

$$\tiny F(k+1)=\frac12+\frac{(-1)^k\pi}{2(k!)}\left(\binom kp\frac{\Gamma(3/2+k)}{-2\sqrt\pi}(-1)^k(\coth(\pi)+\sum_{p=1}^k\sum_{q=1}^n\sum_{r=0}^q\binom kp\frac{\Gamma(3/2+k-p)}{-2\sqrt\pi}(-1)^{k+p+r}2^{q-r}(\coth(\pi)-1)(-1)^rr!S_q^{(r)}(\coth(\pi)+1)^r(\pi)B_{p,q}\left(\pi,-\pi\frac14,\dots,\sqrt\pi\frac{\Gamma(3/2+q)}{-4}(-1)^q\right)\right)$$


Old:

A theta function:

$$\frac12[\vartheta_3(0,r)+1]=\sum_{n=0}^\infty r^{n^2}$$

Term by term integration then reveals that

$$\frac1x\int_0^x\frac12[\vartheta_3(0,r)+1]\ dr=\sum_{n=0}^\infty\frac{x^{n^2}}{1+n^2}$$

Repeat this process over and over to get

$$\frac1{x_1}\int_0^{x_1}dx_2\frac1{x_2}\int_0^{x_2}dx_3\dots dx_k\frac1{x_k}\int_0^{x_k}dr\frac12[\vartheta_3(0,r)+1]=\sum_{n=0}^\infty\frac{x_1^{n^2}}{(1+n^2)^k}$$

And of course, evaluate at $x_1=1$ for your function. I do not see a closed form coming out of this, but it may be useful for discerning certain things about your function.

I do note, however, that in the case of $k=1$, the solution is given in this post:

$$\sum_{n=0}^\infty\frac1{1+n^2}=\int_0^1\frac12[\vartheta_3(0,r)+1]\ dr=\frac\pi{2\tanh\pi}+\frac12$$

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    Is a better representation of that final nth derivative possible? Perhaps using the Taylor Expansion around $x=1$ for $\Coth(\pi)$ and for $x^{-1/2}$? I'm imagining just plugging $\pi\sqrt{x} $ into the former and then taking the Cauchy Product... Perhaps one of the series would simplify? It just seems that direct calculations of nth derivatives wont be pleasing2017-01-01
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    @BrevanEllefsen Yes, true, but it sure does give a nice way to tackle closed forms. I'll try to think about it and hope that it simplifies.2017-01-01
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    Of course, this only works for integers $k$, whereas the intent of the OP seems to be for real values $s$.2017-01-01
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    @GregMartin Ofc, but I see no way of doing that...2017-01-01
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    @BrevanEllefsen If we first apply [General Leibniz rule](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Leibniz_rule) followed by [Faà di Bruno's formula](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fa%C3%A0_di_Bruno's_formula) and the $n$th derivative of hyperbolic cotangent ([working on it](http://math.stackexchange.com/questions/2083279/the-nth-derivative-of-the-hyperbolic-cotangent)), we shall arrive at our destination.2017-01-07
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    @BrevanEllefsen And now I'm done :D2017-01-07
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    @SimpleArt a round of applause is in order!!! While this might be the ugliest closed form I've ever been happy to see... It is a closed form!2017-01-07
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    @BrevanEllefsen Haha, yes... it is extremely ugly, but fun to reach XD2017-01-07
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It doesn't have an Euler product.

Expanding $(1+n^{-2})^{-s} =\sum_{k=0}^\infty {-s \choose k} n^{-2k}$ you get $$F(s) =\sum_{n=0}^\infty (n^2+1)^{-s} = 1+2^{-s}+\sum_{k=0}^\infty {-s \choose k} (\zeta(2s+2k)-1)$$ so it is meromorphic on the whole complex plane, with poles at $s = \frac{1}{2}-k, k \in \mathbb{N}$

Using $\Gamma(s) a^{-s} =\int_0^\infty x^{s-1}e^{-ax}dx$ and $\theta(x) = \sum_{n=1}^\infty e^{-x n^2}$ you have $$G(s) = (F(s)-1-2^{-s}) \Gamma(s) = \int_0^\infty x^{s-1}e^{-x} \theta(x)dx, \qquad \Gamma(s) \zeta(2s) = \int_0^\infty x^{s-1}\theta(x) dx $$ where $\Gamma(s) \zeta(2s)-\frac{\sqrt{\pi}}{2(s-1/2)}+\frac{1}{2s}$ is entire.

From these poles location, we can deduce that for arbitrary large $N$ :

$\theta(x) = \frac{\sqrt{\pi}}{2}x^{-1/2}-\frac{1}{2}+o(x^N)$ as $x \to 0$ and hence $e^{-x}\theta(x) = \sum_{k\ge 0} \frac{x^k}{k!}(\frac{\sqrt{\pi}}{2}x^{-1/2}-\frac{1}{2})+o(x^N)$ as $x \to 0$

so that $$\lim_{s \to 1/2-k}(s+1/2-k)G(s)= \frac{\sqrt{\pi}}{2k!}, \qquad \lim_{s \to -k}(s-k)G(s)= \frac{-1/2}{(k+1)!}$$

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    I wonder what makes this answer more popular. It simply provides an asymptote, but asymptotes are hardly difficult to find. I know the OP has changed the question, but I'm just scratching my head over how useful these asymptotes are. Though, I give +1 for the $s\to-k$ asymptotes, since $F(s)$ isn't naturally defined in that region.2017-01-01
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    @SimpleArt it gives the analytic continuation, the value at $-k$, the poles at $-k+1/2$. Together with the value at positive integers, this is probably all we can tell at this level. And the method is [exactly the same with $\zeta(s)$](http://math.stackexchange.com/questions/2027566/how-is-the-riemann-zeta-function-zero-at-the-negative-even-integers/2028419#2028419).2017-01-01
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    Yeah, probably. And yes, ofc, I can recognize your "$\zeta(s)\Gamma(s)$" combo here.2017-01-01
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    @SimpleArt (Riemann's trick, from this he obtained the functional equation, using the Poisson formula $1+2\theta(x)=\frac{1}{x^{1/2}}(1+2\theta(1/x))$)2017-01-01
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    Just picking a nit: I believe it should be $$F(s)=1+2^{-s}+\sum_{k=0}^\infty\binom{-s}{k}(\zeta(2s+2k)-1)$$2017-01-01
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    @robjohn right tks2017-01-01
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    @user1952009: How do you know that there is no Euler-type product? I'm genuinely curious whether this is a common-sense statement, an intuition if you want, or whether you can back it with a rigorous proof.2017-01-01
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    @AlexM. Euler product = multiplicative coefficients. Here they are not, because $n-1$ and $m-1$ are square and $gcd(n,m) = 1$ don't imply that $nm-1$ is a square ($n=2,m = 17$)2017-01-02
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Accepting, for argument's sake, that it is possible to create a function (the opposing view is that one discovers mathematical objects, rather than creating them), you have created the function simply by writing down that formula. Well, you have created it for real part of $s$ exceeding one-half, which is where the series converges. Knowing "exact values" (again, a term we can argue over, but I'll take it to mean a finite expression in terms of well-known constants, and leave it at that), well, that's generally very difficult. No one knows an exact value for $\zeta(3)$, for example, and for your function I suspect no one knows an exact value for $F(2)$. And as to extending your function to be defined for all complex $s$ (outside of a pole at $s=1/2$), that's what analytic continuation is for, so now you have a keyphrase to search for.

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    It appears I know the exact value of $F(1)$ though...2017-01-01
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    Do see my answer below. It should be given by $\frac\pi{2\tanh\pi}+\frac12$2017-01-01
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    OK, then, make it $F(2)$.2017-01-01
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    Yes, I'm trying, but that is quite a ways harder...2017-01-01
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    Never mind, $F(2)=\frac12+\frac\pi4\frac{\tanh\pi+2\pi\operatorname{sech}^2\pi}{\tanh^2\pi}$2017-01-01
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Perhaps look into the theory of Dirichlet series? Your function is the series corresponding to the sequence $n \mapsto [\exists x\in \mathbb{N}(n=x^2+1)],$ where $[-]$ is the Iverson Bracket (google it.) The first few terms of the sequence are:

$$0,1,1,0,0,1\ldots$$

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    @user1952009 Depends if you understand what he is saying. To the right person, this could be a perfectly fine answer.2017-01-01