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Strict increase alone does not suffice in the preceding theorem. Let ${\sigma }_j=1-1/j$, $c_j=2^{-j}$ and $f(y)=\eta (y){\sum }_{j\ge 1}{2}^{-j}{y}^{1-1/j}$, where $\eta$ is continuous, equals one on $(0,1]$ and vanishes on $[2,\infty )$. After division by the next power, every finite remainder extends continuously to zero. Nevertheless the Mellin transform has genuine poles at $-{\sigma }_j$ accumulating at $-1$, so it cannot be a meromorphic function on the whole plane.

For a cusp form $f=\sum c_n{q}^n$ and coprime integers $a,N$, the additive twist inserts the additive character $e^{2\pi ian/N}$. It is the Dirichlet series associated with the rational translate $f(a/N+\tau )$. Its completed Mellin transform uses the scale $N^s$ and the Gamma function.

For a full-rank Euclidean lattice in ${\mathbb{R}}^n$, its Epstein zeta function is $E_{\Lambda }(s)={\sum }_{0\ne x\in \Lambda }|x{|}^{-2s}$, initially convergent for $\mathrm{Re}s>n/2$. A Mellin transform of its theta function gives its completed Epstein zeta function and a meromorphic continuation. Its sole pole has residue ${\pi }^{n/2}/[m(\Lambda )\Gamma (n/2)]$ at $s=n/2$.

For even weight $k$, complete the additive twist of a cusp-form L-function as $M(f,a/N,s)=(N/(2\pi ){)}^s\Gamma (s)L(f,a/N,s)$. Split its Mellin transform at $y=1/N$ and use rational-cusp inversion of a level-one cusp form in the lower integral. The resulting two integrals over $[1/N,\infty )$ converge locally uniformly for every complex $s$, giving an entire continuation and the displayed functional equation. The relation $ad\equiv 1(\mathrm{mod}N)$ identifies the opposite cusp.

The fundamental strip of a Mellin transform is the interior of the set of real parts $\sigma$ for whichViewed in the complex plane, it is a vertical strip $\alpha <\mathrm{Re}s<\beta$; either bound may be infinite, and the interior may be empty. Both endpoints of the improper integral must be checked. Convergence on a boundary line, whether absolute convergence or conditional convergence, requires a separate test. The Mellin transform is holomorphic throughout a nonempty fundamental strip.^[ref]

A practical sufficient test uses Big O notation: if $f(x)=O(x^p)$ near zero and $f(x)=O(x^{-q})$ near infinity, with real $p,q$, then comparison with elementary improper integrals givesThus $-p<\sigma <q$ guarantees absolute convergence. These upper bounds on $|f|$ need not locate the maximal Mellin fundamental strip; faster actual decay can widen it. The strip property itself follows by bounding the weight at any intermediate $\sigma$ by the sum of two weights already known to be integrable. On a closed narrower strip, neighboring integrable weights also dominate the natural logarithm factors introduced by differentiation under the integral sign, making the transform a holomorphic function.

An exact two-endpoint example isHere both bounds are sharp: at $\sigma =-2$ the zero-end absolute convergence test contains ${\int }_0^{1}dx/x$, and at $\sigma =3$ the infinity-end test contains ${\int }_1^{\infty }dx/x$. The displayed rational function continues meromorphically outside the Mellin fundamental strip and has simple poles at $-2$ and $3$. Its other finite continued values outside the strip are values of a meromorphic continuation, not of a convergent defining integral. More general endpoint information leads to meromorphic continuation of a Mellin transform from an asymptotic expansion.

For $f={\sum }_{n\ge 1}{a}_n{q}^n$, define $L(f,s)={\sum }_{n\ge 1}{a}_n{n}^{-s}$ in a right half-plane. Its completion $(2\pi {)}^{-s}\Gamma (s)L(f,s)$ is the Mellin transform of $f(iy)$. The modular inversion and exponential cusp decay continue this completion to an entire function and give its reflection $s\mapsto k-s$. A normalized Hecke eigenform also has an Euler product of a Hecke eigenform.

For a level-one modular form of positive even weight $k$ and constant coefficient $a_0$, put $I_f(s)={\int }_1^{\infty }(f(iy)-a_0)y^{s-1}dy$. This is an entire function. Splitting the Mellin transform at one and using $f(iy)=i^k{y}^{-k}f(i/y)$ proves the displayed continuation of $(2\pi {)}^{-s}\Gamma (s)L(f,s)$. It obeys ${\Lambda }_f(s)=i^k{\Lambda }_f(k-s)$ and has possible simple poles only at zero and $k$, with residues $-a_0,i^k{a}_0$. For a cusp form both disappear.

The Mellin transform is an integral transform suited to changes of scale: replacing $f(x)$ by $f(ax)$ multiplies its transform by $a^{-s}$ for $a>0$. For a locally integrable function $f:(0,\infty )\to \mathbb{C}$, definewhere the improper integral converges. The complex number $x^{s-1}=\exp ((s-1)\log x)$ uses the real natural logarithm because $x>0$. Its absolute value is $x^{\sigma -1}$, so absolute convergence depends on the real part $\sigma$ rather than the imaginary part $\tau$. The Mellin fundamental strip records the open range of such real parts.^[ref]

A familiar example is the exponential function $f(x)=e^{-x}$:This is exactly the Gamma integral. Near zero $e^{-x}$ tends to one, so absolute convergence requires $\sigma >0$; at infinity $x^r{e}^{-x}\to 0$ for every real $r$, so there is no upper boundary. The Gamma function has a meromorphic continuation with simple poles at $0,-1,-2,\dots$, but a finite continued value elsewhere in $\sigma \le 0$ does not make the defining improper integral converge.^[ref]

The Mellin transform of an interval indicator gives an elementary example with absolute convergence for every complex number $s$. The Mellin transform in logarithmic coordinates explains why changes of scale become translations, connecting the scaling property of the Mellin transform to the Fourier transform.

The change of variables $x=e^u$, using the exponential function, turns the Mellin transform intoThe factor $dx=e^{u}du$ changes $x^{s-1}$ to $e^{su}$; missing this factor would shift every exponent by one. With $h_{\sigma }(u)=e^{\sigma u}f(e^u)$ and the Fourier transform convention $\hat{h}(\omega )={\int }_{\mathbb{R}}h(u)e^{-i\omega u}du$, the identity isChoosing $\sigma$ inside the Mellin fundamental strip makes $h_{\sigma }$ a Lebesgue integrable function. The minus sign in the Fourier transform argument follows from the stated convention. For the Mellin transform of an interval indicator with $[b,c]=[1,4]$ and $\sigma =0$, $h_0=1_{[0,\log 4]}$: the Fourier transform of an interval indicator is literally the same computation in a different coordinate.

Splitting the real line at $u=0$ also connects the Mellin transform to two unilateral Laplace transforms. If $k_{+}(v)=f(e^v)$ and $k_{-}(v)=f(e^{-v})$ for $v\ge 0$, thenwhere both integrals converge absolutely. Their Laplace convergence regions impose opposite endpoint conditions, explaining the two sides of the Mellin fundamental strip. Finally, $f(a{e}^u)=f(e^{u+\log a})$ shows that a change of scale is a translation in $u$. Weighted Fourier transforms of this translation give exactly the factor $a^{-s}$ in the scaling property of the Mellin transform. For a smooth function with compact support inside $(0,\infty )$, the Mellin inversion theorem follows from Fourier inversion; the existing formula states the corresponding hypotheses.

For $0<b<c<\infty$, the indicator function $f(x)=1_{[b,c]}(x)$ has Mellin transformThe interval stays away from both zero and infinity, so the integral is absolutely convergent for every complex number $s$. Its Mellin fundamental strip is the whole complex plane. Evaluating the antiderivative $x^s/s$ proves the formula for $s\ne 0$; at $s=0$, integrating $1/x$ gives the real natural logarithm $\log (c/b)$. The apparent division by zero is a removable singularity, since $c^s-b^s=s(\log c-\log b)+O(s^2)$ by the Taylor series of the exponential function. The transform is an entire function.

For example, $1_{[1,4]}$ gives $(4^s-1)/s$ with value $\log 4$ at zero. On $s=i\tau$, the Mellin transform sums oscillations over the width $\log 4$ of the interval in natural logarithm coordinates; this is the same cancellation mechanism as in the Fourier transform of an interval indicator.

Suppose $f$ decays faster than every power at infinity and, near zero, $f(y)={\sum }_{j=1}^r{c}_j{y}^{{\sigma }_j}+O(y^{{\sigma }_{r+1}})$ for every $r$, with ${\sigma }_j$ strictly increasing and tending to infinity. Subtracting finitely many terms in the integral over $(0,1)$ givesThe last integral is holomorphic on $\mathrm{Re}s>-{\sigma }_{r+1}$. These expressions continue the Mellin transform meromorphically to the whole plane, with simple poles precisely at $-{\sigma }_j$ for nonzero $c_j$.

Write $\Gamma =S{L}_2(\mathbb{Z})$ and use the determinant-normalized slash operatorThe automorphy factor identity proves $(f{|}_k\alpha ){|}_k\beta =f{|}_k(\alpha \beta )$, and positive scalar matrices act trivially. Let ${\mathcal{M}}_n$ be all integral matrices of determinant $n>0$. It is stable under left and right multiplication by $\Gamma$. Its left orbits have unique representativesIndeed Bézout's identity reduces the first column to $(a,0)$, the determinant fixes $d=n/a$, and a row shear reduces $b$ modulo $d$. These are the determinant-n matrix representatives for Hecke operators. For composite $n$, ${\mathcal{M}}_n$ can contain more than one double coset; keeping every integral matrix, including nonprimitive ones, is essential.

Define the Hecke operator byChanging a representative on the left leaves its summand unchanged. Right multiplication by $\Gamma$ permutes left orbits of ${\mathcal{M}}_n$, so the result satisfies the weight-$k$ transformation law. Each summand is holomorphic. Its expansion at infinity is bounded, and vanishes there when $f$ is a cusp form; the group has just one cusp class. Therefore $T_n$ preserves both $M_k$ and $S_k$, and $T_1$ is the identity.

For a Fourier expansion $f={\sum }_{r\ge 0}{a}_r{q}^r$, the sum over $b$ vanishes unless $d\mid r$. Substitute $r=dt$ and then collect the coefficient of $q^m$ to obtain the Fourier coefficients of a composite-index Hecke operator:Here $\gcd (0,n)=n$, so the constant coefficient is ${\sigma }_{k-1}(n)a_0$; at $m=1$ it is $a_n$. This proves preservation of integral coefficients. At a prime,with $a_{m/p}=0$ if $p\nmid m$.

We can prove the entire Hecke multiplication relations directly, not just quote them. On formal power series put $U_p(\sum a_m{q}^m)=\sum a_{pm}{q}^m$ and $V_{p}f(q)=f(q^p)$. Although these individual operators need not preserve level one, $U_p{V}_p=1$ and the coefficient formula givesMultiply on the left by $T_p=U_p+p^{k-1}{V}_p$. In the first part the $j=0$ term is $U_p^{r+1}$; every $j\ge 1$ reduces by $U_p{V}_p=1$ to $p^{j(k-1)}{V}_p^{j-1}{U}_p^{r-j}$. The second part, together with the $j=0$ term, is $T_{p^{r+1}}$. The remaining sum is $p^{k-1}{T}_{p^{r-1}}$. ThusFor coprime indices, the coefficient divisors split independently in the displayed formula, proving $T_m{T}_n=T_{mn}$ when $(m,n)=1$. Induction with the prime-power recurrence gives $T_{p^r}{T}_{p^t}={\sum }_{j=0}^{\min (r,t)}{p}^{j(k-1)}{T}_{p^{r+t-2j}}$. Combining the primes provesIn particular the modular Hecke algebra is commutative and is generated by the prime operators.

For cusp forms the Petersson inner product isCusp decay makes it finite and positive definite. The Hecke operators are self-adjoint for the Petersson inner product. To see the change-of-variables mechanism, fix a double coset $\Gamma \alpha \Gamma \subset {\mathcal{M}}_n$ and put $H=\Gamma \cap {\alpha }^{-1}\Gamma \alpha$. Representatives $\gamma$ of $H\backslash \Gamma$ give left representatives $\alpha \gamma$. Unfolding the sum in $⟨{\sum }_{\gamma }f{|}_k\alpha \gamma ,g⟩$ changes the integral over $\Gamma \backslash \mathbb{H}$ to the integral over $H\backslash \mathbb{H}$ of $(f{|}_k\alpha )\overline{g}$. The substitution $w=\alpha \tau$ preserves $dxdy/y^2$ and has $\Im w=(\det \alpha )y/|c\tau +d{|}^2$; these factors move the slash from $f$ to $g{|}_k{\alpha }^{-1}$. Refold over $\alpha H{\alpha }^{-1}=\Gamma \cap \alpha \Gamma {\alpha }^{-1}$ to get the reverse double coset. Since scalar matrices act trivially, ${\alpha }^{-1}$ has the same slash action as its adjugate ${\alpha }^{\ast }=n{\alpha }^{-1}$, an integral matrix of determinant $n$. The adjugate involution permutes all the double cosets in ${\mathcal{M}}_n$. The common real factor $n^{k/2-1}$ is unchanged, giving $⟨T_{n}f,g⟩=⟨f,T_{n}g⟩$.

Since $S_k$ is finite dimensional, commuting self-adjoint linear operators have a common orthonormal basis of Hecke eigenforms: diagonalize one operator, restrict the others to its eigenspaces, and repeat until these spaces cannot split further. If $f$ is a nonzero common Hecke eigenform with $T_{n}f={\lambda }_{n}f$, the coefficient at $q$ gives $a_n={\lambda }_n{a}_1$. Were $a_1=0$, every positive coefficient would vanish, contrary to $f\ne 0$ being cuspidal. Normalize $a_1=1$; then ${\lambda }_n=a_n$, and the Hecke multiplication relations yieldThe eigenvalues are real by self-adjointness. Their multiplicativity and prime-power recurrence give the Euler product of a Hecke eigenform, initially in an absolutely convergent half-plane:The Mellin transform in Question 5 supplies its analytic continuation and functional equation.

Finally, for positive even $k\ge 4$, $M_k=\mathbb{C}{E}_k\oplus S_k$, by subtracting the constant coefficient times the normalized Eisenstein series. The divisor identityfollows by multiplying the geometric sums at each prime; it and the constant-coefficient formula prove $T_n{E}_k={\sigma }_{k-1}(n)E_k$. Thus $M_k$ has an Eisenstein series eigenline and a basis of cuspidal Hecke eigenforms. Odd and negative weights have no forms, $M_2=0$, and on $M_0=\mathbb{C}$ the operator is the scalar ${\sigma }_{-1}(n)$. These statements fix the normalization and describe the exceptional small weights as well.

Let $a_0$ be the constant Fourier coefficient and suppose first that $k>0$ is even and $M_k\ne 0$; thus $k\ge 4$. Put $\epsilon =i^k=(-1{)}^{k/2}$. The precise Mellin continuation of a noncuspidal modular form isIt is meromorphic on the whole plane, with possible simple poles only at $0,k$, of residues $-a_0,\epsilon a_0$, respectively. For a cusp form it is an entire function. A nonzero constant term makes both of these poles genuine.

We first justify the initial Mellin transform. Decompose $f=a_0{E}_k+h$ with $h\in S_k$. For a cusp form, $y^{k/2}|h(x+iy)|$ is invariant under the modular group and bounded on its fundamental domain, since it tends to zero at the cusp. Therefore it is bounded throughout the complex upper half-plane. Integrating the Fourier coefficient at height $y=1/n$ gives $|a_n(h)|\le C{e}^{2\pi }{n}^{k/2}$. The Eisenstein series coefficients satisfy ${\sigma }_{k-1}(n)\le \zeta (k-1)n^{k-1}$ by replacing divisors $d$ by $n/d$. Consequently $a_n(f)=O(n^{k-1})$, and absolute termwise integration is valid for $\Re s>k$:Indeed ${\int }_0^{\infty }{e}^{-2\pi ny}{y}^{s-1}dy=(2\pi n{)}^{-s}\Gamma (s)$, and the sum of the absolute integrals converges in that half-plane.

Write $I_f(s)={\int }_1^{\infty }(f(iy)-a_0)y^{s-1}dy$. Exponential cusp decay of the difference implies uniform convergence on compact subsets of the $s$-plane, including after any number of derivatives in $s$, so $I_f$ is entire. The modular transformation $f(i/y)=(iy{)}^{k}f(iy)$ givesOn the lower half of the Mellin integral, subtract the transformed constant explicitly:Substitute $y=1/t$ in the decaying term and integrate the two powers in the constant term. This yields, initially for $\Re s>k$,The right side supplies the claimed meromorphic continuation and its residues. Replacing $s$ by $k-s$ and multiplying by $\epsilon$, with ${\epsilon }^2=1$, leaves this expression unchanged, proving the functional equation with its correct sign. In particular the residue at $k$ is tied to the residue at zero by that equation; subtracting only $a_0$ at infinity and overlooking its transformed value at zero would miss these poles.

In weight zero every modular form is constant, so $L(f,s)=0$ and its completion is identically zero. The same holds for the zero form in odd, negative, or weight-two spaces. Thus the assertion covers all weights in the notation of the paper. There is no conjugation of $f$ in this level-one functional equation.

The rational translate $g(\tau )=f(a/N+\tau )$ has Fourier coefficients $e^{2\pi ian/N}{c}_n$, with the same polynomial bound as $c_n$. Thus the preceding Mellin transform gives, initially for $\mathrm{Re}s$ large, the completion of the additive twist of a cusp-form L-functionWrite $\epsilon =i^k=(-1{)}^{k/2}$. Nonzero level-one forms have even weight, so ${\epsilon }^2=1$. Split the integral at $1/N$. In its lower part substitute $y=1/(N^{2}v)$, and use rational-cusp inversion of a level-one cusp form with $\tau =iv$:The bounds reverse from $(0,1/N)$ to $(\infty ,1/N)$, so

Both cusp values in this integral are $O(e^{-2\pi y})$ as $y\to \infty$. On any compact set of $s$-values, the remaining powers of $Ny$ are bounded by fixed positive powers of $y$; differentiation in $s$ merely introduces powers of $\log (Ny)$. The integral and its differentiated integrals therefore converge uniformly on compact sets. It defines an entire function of $s$, agreeing with the original completion in its half-plane of convergence, and hence supplies the required analytic continuation to $\mathbb{C}$.

For the opposite rational cusp, $a^{\prime }=-d$ has inverse $d^{\prime }=-a$ modulo $N$. Denote the two individual upper integrals by $I_a(s)$ and $I_{-d}(s)$. The representation givesReplacing $s$ by $k-s$ in the first equality and using ${\epsilon }^2=1$ proves the functional equation of an additive cusp-form twist:For $N=1$ this specializes to the entire completion and functional equation of the ordinary L-function of a cusp form.

Use $q=e^{2\pi i\tau }$, so $g(iy)={\sum }_{n\ge 1}{b}_n{e}^{-2\pi ny}$. Put $u=\mathrm{Re}s$. For $u>\max \{0,\sigma +1\}$,The Gamma integral and absolute convergence therefore justify exchanging summation and integration. For every positive integer $n$, substitution $t=2\pi ny$ givesSumming these identities proves the Mellin transform formula for the Dirichlet series:The power of the positive real variable $y$ uses the real logarithm; the initial half-plane stated above is a sufficient one even when $\sigma$ is negative.

The analytic input for these Mellin transforms is elementary cusp decay. For a level-one weight-$k$ cusp form, the invariant norm of a modular form $y^{k/2}|f(x+iy)|$ is invariant under the modular group. It is bounded on the standard fundamental region, because the cusp expansion decays exponentially, and hence bounded on all of $\mathbb{H}$. Fourier inversion givesTaking $y=1/n$ proves the Fourier coefficient bound for a cusp form $c_n=O(n^{k/2})$. In particular rational translates have polynomially bounded coefficients and exponential decay as $y\to \infty$, uniformly in their real parts. These facts justify the initial Mellin integrations and the later entire continuation.

Use the Fourier transform convention $\hat{f}(u)={\int }_{\mathbb{R}}f(x)e^{-2\pi iux}dx$. A version of the Poisson summation formula sufficient here isBoth sums converge absolutely. To prove it, form the periodization of a Schwartz function $P(x)={\sum }_{n\in \mathbb{Z}}f(x+n)$. The rapid decay of $f$ and all its derivatives makes this series and its differentiated series uniformly convergent on $[0,1]$, so $P$ is smooth and one-periodic. Its Fourier coefficients areRepeated integration by parts makes these coefficients rapidly decreasing. Thus ${\sum }_m\hat{f}(m)e^{2\pi imx}$ converges absolutely and uniformly and has the same coefficients as $P$. By uniqueness of Fourier series it equals $P$. Evaluation at zero proves the formula.

For $u>0$, the Gaussian $f(x)=e^{-\pi u{x}^2}$ has transform $u^{-1/2}{e}^{-\pi m^2/u}$. This follows from the Gaussian integral at frequency zero and integration by parts, which gives the differential equation ${\hat{f}}^{\prime }(v)=-(2\pi v/u)\hat{f}(v)$. Hence the Jacobi theta functionsatisfies $\Theta (u)=u^{-1/2}\Theta (1/u)$.

Use the normalization of the completed Riemann zeta functionInitially, for $\Re s>1$, the Gamma function integral and absolute convergence give its Mellin transform representationIndeed, the two equal terms for $n$ and $-n$ cancel the factor $1/2$, and the $n$th integral is ${\pi }^{-s/2}\Gamma (s/2)n^{-s}$.

Split at $u=1$ and use the theta transformation in the integral over $(0,1)$. Its elementary part isIn the remaining part substitute $v=1/u$. DefineThe pole-subtracted theta integral for the completed zeta function is thereforeSince $\Theta (u)-1=O(e^{-\pi u})$ for $u\ge 1$, both integrals and every derivative in $s$ converge uniformly on compact subsets of $\mathbb{C}$. Thus $J$ is an entire function. The boxed identity supplies the meromorphic continuation of $\Xi$ to the whole plane, with no other singularities. Its poles really are simple, because the residues of the displayed rational terms are nonzero:The identity also gives $\Xi (s)=\Xi (1-s)$, the completed functional equation of the Riemann zeta function.