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Clausen function

Transcendental single-variable function

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  • 18 chapters

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Through Mathematics, Integral and Natural logarithm

The Clausen function of order 2 – often referred to as the Clausen function, despite being but one of a class of many – is given by the integral:

Cl2⁡(φ)=−∫0φlog⁡|2sin⁡x2|dx

where log denotes the natural logarithm. In the range 0<φ<2π the sine function inside the absolute value sign remains strictly positive, so the absolute value signs may be omitted. The Clausen function also has the Fourier series representation:

Cl2⁡(φ)=∑k=1∞sin⁡kφk2=sin⁡φ+sin⁡2φ22+sin⁡3φ32+sin⁡4φ42+⋯

The Clausen functions, as a class of functions, feature extensively in many areas of modern mathematical research, particularly in relation to the evaluation of many classes of logarithmic and polylogarithmic integrals, both definite and indefinite. They also have numerous applications with regard to the summation of hypergeometric series, summations involving the inverse of the central binomial coefficient, sums of the polygamma function, and Dirichlet L-series.

Basic properties

The Clausen function (of order 2) has simple zeros at all (integer) multiples of π, since if k∈Z is an integer, then sin⁡kπ=0,

Cl2⁡(mπ)=0,m=0,±1,±2,±3,⋯

It has maxima at θ=π3+2mπ[m∈Z]

Cl2⁡(π3+2mπ)=1.01494160…

and minima at θ=−π3+2mπ[m∈Z]

Cl2⁡(−π3+2mπ)=−1.01494160…

The following properties are immediate consequences of the series definition:

Cl2⁡(θ+2mπ)=Cl2⁡(θ) Cl2⁡(−θ)=−Cl2⁡(θ)

See Lu & Perez (1992).

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