Let a_n=1 for all n. Then : \sum_{n\le \lambda} \left(1-\frac{n}{\lambda}\right)^\delta = \frac{1}{2\pi i} \int_{c-i\infty}^{c+i\infty} \frac{\Gamma(1+\delta)\Gamma(s)}{\Gamma(1+\delta+s)} \zeta(s) \lambda^s \, ds = \frac{\lambda}{1+\delta} + \sum_n b_n \lambda^{-n}. Here, one must take c>1; \Gamma(s) is the
Gamma function and \zeta(s) is the
Riemann zeta function. The
power series :\sum_n b_n \lambda^{-n} can be shown to be convergent for \lambda > 1. Note that the integral is of the form of an inverse
Mellin transform. Another interesting case connected with
number theory arises by taking a_n=\Lambda(n) where \Lambda(n) is the
Von Mangoldt function. Then : \sum_{n\le \lambda} \left(1-\frac{n}{\lambda}\right)^\delta \Lambda(n) = - \frac{1}{2\pi i} \int_{c-i\infty}^{c+i\infty} \frac{\Gamma(1+\delta)\Gamma(s)}{\Gamma(1+\delta+s)} \frac{\zeta^\prime(s)}{\zeta(s)} \lambda^s \, ds = \frac{\lambda}{1+\delta} + \sum_\rho \frac {\Gamma(1+\delta)\Gamma(\rho)}{\Gamma(1+\delta+\rho)} +\sum_n c_n \lambda^{-n}. Again, one must take
c > 1. The sum over
ρ is the sum over the zeroes of the Riemann zeta function, and :\sum_n c_n \lambda^{-n} \, is convergent for
λ > 1. The integrals that occur here are similar to the
Nörlund–Rice integral; very roughly, they can be connected to that integral via
Perron's formula. ==References==