We show that the system of equations

$$ \begin{align*} \sum_{i=1}^{s} (x_{i}^{\,j}-y_{i}^{\,j}) = a_{j} \quad (1 \leqslant j \leqslant k) \end{align*} $$

has appreciably fewer solutions in the subcritical range $s < \tfrac 12k(k+1)$ than its homogeneous counterpart, provided that $a_{\ell } \neq 0$ for some $\ell \leqslant k-1$ . Our methods use Vinogradov’s mean value theorem in combination with a shifting argument.

Let $\mathbb{Z}$ and $\mathbb{Z}^{+}$ be the set of integers and the set of positive integers, respectively. For $a,b,c,d,n\in \mathbb{Z}^{+}$, let $t(a,b,c,d;n)$ be the number of representations of $n$ by $\frac{1}{2}ax(x+1)+\frac{1}{2}by(y+1)+\frac{1}{2}cz(z+1)+\frac{1}{2}dw(w+1)$ with $x,y,z,w\in \mathbb{Z}$. Using theta function identities we prove 13 transformation formulas for $t(a,b,c,d;n)$ and evaluate $t(2,3,3,8;n)$, $t(1,1,6,24;n)$ and $t(1,1,6,8;n)$.

In Gun and Ramakrishnan [‘On special values of certain Dirichlet L-functions’, Ramanujan J.15 (2008), 275–280], we gave expressions for the special values of certain Dirichlet L-function in terms of finite sums involving Jacobi symbols. In this note we extend our earlier results by giving similar expressions for two more special values of Dirichlet L-functions, namely L(−1,χm) and L(−2,χ−m′), where m,m′ are square-free integers with m≡1 mod 8 and m′≡3 mod 8 and χD is the Kronecker symbol . As a consequence, using the identities of Cohen [‘Sums involving the values at negative integers of L-functions of quadratic characters’, Math. Ann.217 (1975), 271–285], we also express the finite sums with Jacobi symbols in terms of sums involving divisor functions. Finally, we observe that the proof of Theorem 1.2 in Gun and Ramakrishnan (as above) is a direct consequence of Equation (24) in Gun, Manickam and Ramakrishnan [‘A canonical subspace of modular forms of half-integral weight’, Math. Ann.347 (2010), 899–916].

An integer may be represented by a quadratic form over each ring of p-adic integers and over the reals without being represented by this quadratic form over the integers. More generally, such failure of a local-global principle may occur for the representation of one integral quadratic form by another integral quadratic form. We show that many such examples may be accounted for by a Brauer–Manin obstruction for the existence of integral points on schemes defined over the integers. For several types of homogeneous spaces of linear algebraic groups, this obstruction is shown to be the only obstruction to the existence of integral points.

Generating functions are used to derive formulas for the number of representations of a positive integer by each of the quadratic forms x12+x22+x32+2x42, x12+2x22+2x32+2x42, x12+x22+2x32+4x42 and x12+2x22+4x32+4x42. The formulas show that the number of representations by each form is always positive. Some of the analogous results involving sums of triangular numbers are also given.

We present two infinite families of generalized Lambert series identities, and deduce several known identities from them. They include an identity due to M. Jackson, a corollary of Ramanujan's $_1\psi_1$-summation formula, and a recent identity of G. E. Andrews, R. P. Lewis and Z.-G. Liu.

According to a 1904 conjecture of Dickson [2] unless prevented by congruence conditions, any finite collection of linear forms in $\Z[x]$ with positive leading coefficients infinitely often simultaneously represent primes. For the forms $x,x+2$ this includes the conjectured infinitude of prime-pairs.

Let l(N, r) be the minimum number of terms needed to express r as a sum of distinct divisors of N. Let l(N) = max{l(N, r) : 1 ≤ r ≤ N}. Then for Vose's sequence improving the result of M. Vose.

Let N(n) be the set of all integers that can be written in the form where ∊(n) → 0 as n → ∞, answering a question of P. Erdös and R. L. Graham.