Some formulae of P. Stein and others concerning trigonometrical sums

Abstract

Letwhere the frequencies vr are strictly positive and the amplitudes ar are non-zero; and letbe the number of zeros of f(t) – a for 0 ≤ t < T. In physical problems, where f(t) may represent, for example, a general coordinate in a vibrating dynamical system or a set of alternating currents in a cable, formulae are required for the frequency with which f(t) passes through a given value a; that is, for asymptotic or average values of Ga/T. The purpose here is to collect such formulae, and to sketch their background and relations in a way which may suggest extensions. The writer is particularly indebted to Prof. P. Stein for a manuscript containing new results (SI-V in §§2 and 5 below) and for his permission to publish them without his original proofs; these proofs were extensions of the method he gave (6) for the case n = 2.