A half-shift reflection identity for the digamma function

Abstract

We prove the identity \[ 2W_1(x) + \log 4 + ψ\left(\tfrac{1}{2} + x\right) + ψ\left(\tfrac{3}{2} - x\right) = 0, \] where $\ddot{I}ˆ$ is the digamma function and \[ W_1(x) = 2\int_0^\infty \Re\left( \frac{y}{(y^2+1)(e^{π(y+2ix)} - 1)} \right) dy. \] The identity was first conjectured while studying class number $h(D)$ for $D=m^2$ from two complementary perspectives. Our proof, however, is purely analytic: we compute cosine-series expansions of both sides, expressed in terms of the cosine integral Ci$(z)$. Using the above identity and Möbius inversion we find an elementary formula for $$\sum _{\begin{array}{c}1\le r<m\\ (r,m)=1\end{array}}{W}_1\left(\frac{r}{m}\right).$$