Imagery from double character sums
Things on the graphs:
- For the character group of size n we plot the real part
against the imaginary part of exp( 2*pi*1i*A*k/n ) where
A is the least residue set modulo n with elements
relativily prime to n.
- We do this for every character k in the character group,
k=0 is at the 0 radians point; and then we go round counter
clockwise, arriving at n graphs layed out around the circle.
- If the sum of these points for a fixed value of k, sum(
exp( 2*pi*1i*A*k/n ) ), is zero then the point set is
balanced and we plot the points in blue; otherwise the points
are plotted in red.
Things to notice:
- Square free numbers will only have unbalanced configurations (colored
red).
- The starting point (the full colored dot) is the regular progression
around the circle.
- Pure powers have their base unbalanced (the red parts are exactly the
figure of the base on its own) and all the rest balanced (colored
blue).
- A square free product of primes will obviously give that many
unbalanced configurations.
- A non square free product of primes will have the square free
proportion as unbalanced configurations.
- The small circles are always symmetric around the x-axis; which means
the character sum is always a real number.
- The big circle is also symmetric around the x-axis.
- If one of the factors is 2 then the big circle is also symmetric
around the y-axis.
- If we have n = 22 p, p an odd prime, then we
have alternating colors.
- More general, for n = pa qb we have
alternations of a red one and pa-1qb-1-1
blue ones.
Powers of 3 (3, 9, 27)
Powers of 5 (5, 25)
Square free (10=2*5, 14=2*7, 15=3*5)
Not square free (12=2^2*3, 18=2*3^2, 24=2^3*3; all having 2*3 as unbalanced base)