On the value set of the Ramanujan function

We give lower bounds on the number of distinct values of the Ramanujan function τ(n), n ≦ x, and on the number of distinct residues of τ(n), n ≦ x, modulo a prime ℓ. We also show that for any prime ℓ the values τ(n), n ≦ ℓ⁴, form a finite additive basis modulo ℓ. Received: 6 October 2004