Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 November 2018
Sums of the form where f(n) is a multiplicative arithmetical function and denotes summation over those values of n for which f(n)>0 and f(n) ≠1, were studied by De Koninck [2], De Koninck and Galambos [3], Brinitzer [1] and Ivič [5]. The aim of this note is to give an asymptotic formula for a certain class of multiplicative, positive, primeindependent functions (an arithmetical function is prime-independent if f(pv) = g(v) for all primes p and v = 1, 2, …). This class of functions includes, among others, the functions a(n) and τ(e)(n), which represent the number of nonisomorphic abelian groups of order n and the number of exponential divisors of n respectively, and none of the estimates of the above-mentioned papers may be applied to this class of functions. We prove the following.