English

Linear recurrences and rational Lambert series

Number Theory 2026-04-29 v1

Abstract

For a sequence γ=(γn)n1\gamma=(\gamma_n)_{n\ge 1}, define Lγ(z):=n1γnzn1zn=n1(dnγd)zn. L_\gamma(z):=\sum_{n\ge 1}\gamma_n\frac{z^n}{1-z^n} =\sum_{n\ge 1}\Bigl(\sum_{d\mid n}\gamma_d\Bigr)z^n. We prove a short rigidity theorem: if γ\gamma is eventually linearly recurrent and Lγ(z)L_\gamma(z) is rational, then γ\gamma is finitely supported. Equivalently, among sequences with rational ordinary generating function, the only ones whose Lambert series is rational are the finitely supported sequences. The proof specializes the data at a finite place of a finitely generated ring and then uses the periodicity of recurrences over finite fields.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2604.25151,
  title  = {Linear recurrences and rational Lambert series},
  author = {Igor Rivin},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2604.25151},
  year   = {2026}
}
R2 v1 2026-07-01T12:38:23.506Z