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For the unit-modulus prime values in this question, the Granville-Soundararajan distance isThe second identity uses $|f(p)|=|g(p)|=1$. Thus it is the Euclidean distance between the finite weighted vectors $(f(p)/\sqrt{2p}{)}_{p\le X}$ and $(g(p)/\sqrt{2p}{)}_{p\le X}$. Nonnegativity, symmetry and the triangle inequality follow from that norm representation, and it vanishes exactly when the two prime-value vectors agree. This proves the prime-restriction metric for pretentious distance.

On whole arithmetic functions at fixed $X$ it is a pseudometric. For example $f=1$ and $g={\mu }^2$ have identical values at every prime and zero distance for every $X$, but different values at four. Thus the literal identity-of-indiscernibles assertion needs the prime-restriction quotient.

Since $\mu (p)=-1$,For completeness, partial summation and the prime-counting form of the Prime number theorem giveTo verify the constant and the error, replace $\pi$ by $\mathrm{Li}+E$ in the first expression. Differentiating $\mathrm{Li}(u)/u$ shows its two contributions combine to $\log \log X$ plus a constant. The error integral converges absolutely because $|E(u)|/u^2\ll e^{-c\sqrt{\log u}}/u$, and $E(X)/X\to 0$. This proves the Mertens second theorem in the form needed here. In particular the pretentious distance between one and the Möbius function satisfies

For the last request, retain the earlier prime normalization $|f(p)|=1$; the proof also works with the weaker assumption $|f(p)|\le 1$. Without a bound on prime values, the original definition and the absolute convergence of the displayed measure need not apply to an unrestricted multiplicative arithmetic function. For example $f(n)=\mu (n{)}^{2}n$ is multiplicative and squarefree-supported, but for $X>e$ the displayed measure has infinite positive mass: its prime terms alone are ${\sum }_p{p}^{-1/\log X}$, which diverges by the Prime number theorem.

Put $L=\log X$, $\sigma =1+1/L$, and use the Fourier transform convention $\hat{\nu }(t)=\int e^{-itu}d\nu (u)$. Since $f$ is supported on squarefree integers, the defining property of a multiplicative arithmetic function gives the absolutely convergent Euler productThe bound on prime values gives $|f(n)|\le 1$ for squarefree $n$, so the total variation norm of a measure is bounded by $\zeta (\sigma )$; thus $\nu$ is a finite measure. Expanding the logarithm of the modulus, with an absolute $O(1)$ remainder since ${\sum }_p{p}^{-2\sigma }\ll 1$, givesAll constants here are uniform in $t$. Moreoverusing the pole of the Riemann zeta function. The nonnegative deficits $1-\mathrm{Re}(f(p)p^{-it})$ giveIndeed, the replacement of $p^{-\sigma }$ by $1/p$ for $p\le X$ costs at mostby the Mertens first theorem, while discarding the $p>X$ terms costs nothing in this lower bound. Thus the large Fourier coefficient criterion for pretentiousness isIn particular,The comparison function is the Archimedean character $n^{it}$ with this sign because our Fourier transform uses $e^{-itu}$.