Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 ia Paper 1 9D a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
Use , the derivative identity , continuity of cosine at zero, and . For , the mean value theorem gives for a point between zero and . Hence as . For , apply this with to obtain the limit . For every term is zero.
The additional bound and the same mean value theorem give . ThereforeThe right side is summable. By the comparison test for series the stated series has absolute convergence for every real .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 iii Paper 25 2 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Absolute convergence and the fundamental theorem of arithmetic give the Euler productFor a finite set of primes, expand the geometric factors: their product sums over integers whose prime factors lie in that set. Let the finite sets increase through all primes. Absolute convergence permits passage to the limit and recovers the full Dirichlet series. Moreover , so the logarithm converges and the product has no zeros there.
The same absolutely convergent logarithm, and , giveThis is the product version of the three-four-one zero-free-region argument. It also proves there are no zeros on : if for , its factor has order at least four as , while the real pole contributes only order minus three and the factor remains bounded. The displayed left side would tend to zero, a contradiction. At there is a pole, not a zero.
For large , put . The Hardy-Littlewood approximation to the Riemann zeta function at gives for ; its finite sum is bounded by and the integral term is bounded. The Cauchy estimate for derivatives on circles of radius comparable to consequently gives for .
Take with a small fixed . The product inequality, , and implyIf , integration of the derivative along the horizontal segment changes this value by at most . Choose sufficiently small that , then sufficiently small. The lower bound remains a positive multiple of . For , the same product inequality, , and the near-one upper bound give that lower bound directly. For , the reciprocal Euler product gives .
Finally the no-zero result on , compactness at bounded heights and the regular reciprocal at the pole allow a further fixed reduction of to include bounded . We have proved the weak logarithmic zero-free region for the Riemann zeta functionThe reciprocal at is its holomorphic extension, equal to zero.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 iii Paper 25 5 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Let converge absolutely at a real , and take . DefineThe truncated Perron kernel estimate isFor close the contour to the left, collecting the residue one at zero; for close it to the right, collecting no residue. On the horizontal sides, integrating bounds the error by , and the remote vertical side tends to zero. Near use the bounded transition estimate instead, giving . These are the contours and bounds underlying the kernel formula. The constants are uniform for , the range needed below.
Absolute convergence permits termwise integration. The truncated Perron formula is consequentlyHere the primed sum has half weight when is an integer, and otherwise. To obtain the inclusive sum add at an integer. This endpoint convention avoids a false uniform assertion about the kernel at .
Apply this with , , and , for sufficiently large . For , is bounded below, andusing . In the central range , , and . Separate the nearest integers, then sum the harmonic tail over distances : its contribution is . The possible endpoint weight and nearest terms, of size , are absorbed because . ThereforeFor , use the same vertical line ; the error estimate remains valid since . Subtract the two formulas. The identityhas absolute value on that line, because is bounded. Taking absolute values givesThis is the short-interval Perron bound for the second Chebyshev function.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 ii Paper 2 11B Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
For , expand . Absolute convergence of the integrated series follows from the same expression with in place of . Integrating termwise and substituting givesThis proves the Mellin transform representation of the Riemann zeta function.
Take the Hankel contour along the lower side of the negative axis towards zero, around zero counterclockwise, and back along the upper side. For the small-circle contribution tends to zero. On the lower and upper rays, respectively, , so the two integrals combine toThe gamma reflection formula now proves agreement of the two representations. At an integer , the contour integral has a zero while has a pole: their product is interpreted by its finite limit, equal to , not by multiplying literal zero and infinity.
For nonpositive integers the integrand is single-valued, and the contour closes around zero. Sincethe residue of is , giving . Alsois odd. Its Laurent series therefore has only odd powers. Multiplication by cannot produce a term, and the subtracted constant cannot do so when . Hence the contour integral vanishes and for every positive integer .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 ii Paper 2 1H Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
The Euler totient function counts integers with . The Möbius function has , is zero when a prime square divides , and equals when is a product of distinct primes. Consequentlybecause for the sum over squarefree divisors is .
The Möbius inversion formula is . Substituting the divisor sum defining and collecting the coefficient of givesThis proof uses only finite sums, so no convergence hypothesis is needed.
Classifying by their greatest common divisor with gives : the class with greatest common divisor contains exactly integers. Applying the Möbius inversion formula yieldsThe Riemann zeta function is for . Absolute convergence justifies multiplication of Dirichlet series. The divisor identity for the Möbius function gives there. For both factors below converge absolutely, and their Dirichlet convolution is the Euler totient function:
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 ii Paper 2 23J c i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
By the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality, the integral is bounded by , where . For ,For outside the interval, the integral is bounded by the value at the nearest endpoint; the endpoint value is finite as well. Since , the kernel is square-integrable for every real , proving absolute convergence for every .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 ia Paper 1 4F Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
Every counted point has integer coordinates and lies in the square , while the origin is always counted. HenceNo precise circle-area estimate is needed; this elementary bound controls the growth of the power series coefficients.
The comparison test for series states that if , convergence of implies convergence of . Equivalently, divergence of the smaller nonnegative series forces divergence of the larger one.
For ,For , the ratio of successive terms on the right tends to , so the ratio test and the comparison test for series show absolute convergence. The case is immediate.
If , then , so the terms do not tend to zero. The term test for divergence therefore rules out convergence, including every point on the boundary . Thus the radius of convergence isThe series converges exactly in the open unit disc. This is an example of polynomial coefficient growth with unit power-series radius: the lattice-count bound is polynomial rather than exponential.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 ib Paper 4 5A Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
The function is even, so its Fourier series has . In the convention ,Twice applying integration by parts gives, for ,Therefore the periodic Fourier representation iswith periodic continuation. The periodic extension is continuous, including the identified endpoints, and piecewise smooth, so the Fourier series converges to it. The coefficients also give absolute convergence and uniform convergence by comparison with .
At , the cosine cancels the alternating coefficient sign; at , it is identically one. These evaluations yieldThe first identity solves the Basel problem.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 124 1 b Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
The Möbius function has , when is divisible by a prime square, and when is a product of distinct primes. The Riemann zeta function is initially the Dirichlet series for . Both this Dirichlet series and have absolute convergence, because and .
For a finite set of primes , multiplication of absolutely convergent geometric series and unique prime factorization giveEvery omitted integer has a prime factor exceeding , so it exceeds . The difference from has absolute value at most . This proves the Euler product, with the product interpreted as the limit of its finite products:
For the reciprocal identity, absolute convergence justifies multiplying and regrouping the two Dirichlet series by their product index. Their Dirichlet convolution coefficient at isThe coefficient calculation uses only the squarefree integers dividing . Consequently the reciprocal identity is an identity of absolutely convergent series:
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 321 3 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
At and , every radial pair displacement vanishes, so . The particles with indices and give opposite azimuthal accelerations,which cancel pairwise. The acceleration sum has absolute convergence because . With zero velocities and , both the Coriolis force and radial tidal force vanish. The equally spaced row is therefore an equilibrium of the infinite gravitating particle lattice. Its absolute gravitational potential would require an additional reference or regularization; the acceleration used here is well defined.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 321 3 c Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Set . For the discrete Fourier mode, the displacement difference in the th neighbor pair carries , andThus the infinite system reduces toThe gravitating lattice Fourier kernel is nonnegative, even and -periodic, with . The uniform convergence and absolute convergence of its differentiated series givesTo prove the maximum, it is not sufficient to maximize each cosine term separately: the even terms do not reach their individual maxima at . Instead use the convergent integral representation . Summing the geometric series for sines givesFor , the denominator is positive and , so . For , . The interchange is justified by . HenceTheir value iswhere is the Riemann zeta function. This maximizing Fourier mode alternates the signs of neighboring particle displacements.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ia Paper 1 4E Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
Convergence at implies that the terms form a bounded sequence: for some . If and , thenComparison with the convergent geometric series proves absolute convergence. The case is vacuous.
The radius of convergence is the number such that a power series converges absolutely for and diverges for , with boundary behavior considered separately.
TakeThen is the convergent alternating harmonic series, whereas is the divergent harmonic series. Thus converges at a point of modulus one and diverges at another point of modulus one. It follows that
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 iii Paper 137 1 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-07
Use the Fourier transform normalization . A precise version of the Poisson summation formula is that, for every Schwartz function ,Both series have absolute convergence. Here being a Schwartz function means being smooth with for all nonnegative integers . This hypothesis makes the sums and the termwise operations below legitimate; the formula is not being asserted for arbitrary integrable functions.
Form the periodization of a Schwartz function . Every differentiated series has uniform convergence on , by rapid decay, so is a smooth periodic function of period one. Its th Fourier coefficient isThe interchange follows from absolute convergence uniformly on this interval. Integration by parts shows that these Fourier coefficients decrease faster than every inverse power of . Thus the Fourier series converges absolutely and uniformly to ; for example the standard convergence theorem for twice continuously differentiable periodic functions applies. Evaluating at zero proves the Poisson summation formula.
For , scaling the given Gaussian Fourier transform givesApplying the Poisson summation formula gives the real-parameter Jacobi theta function transformation
For , termwise application of the Mellin transform is justified by integrating absolute values and givesEach positive contributes , and the factor one half removes the equal positive and negative terms. This is the Mellin representation of the completed Riemann zeta function.
Split the integral at one. On , the Jacobi theta function transformation writes . Integrating the first two terms and substituting in the third yields the pole-subtracted theta integral for the completed zeta function:The remaining integral is an entire function of : , and on each compact set of this exponential dominates all powers of and all factors arising from differentiation. It therefore supplies a meromorphic continuation of to the whole plane, with simple poles at one and zero, of residues and , respectively. Its expression is unchanged by .
The reciprocal Gamma function is entire, with simple zeros at its nonpositive integer arguments. Consequentlyis holomorphic everywhere except for a simple pole at , of residue one. The apparent pole at cancels; in fact gives . This proves the analytic continuation of the Riemann zeta function. The completed functional equation of the Riemann zeta function isThese are equalities of meromorphic functions; at apparent singularities they are interpreted by continuation. Equivalently, is an entire function with .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 iii Paper 137 2 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-07
Extend the Dirichlet character periodically to all integers, putting when . Its Dirichlet L-function, initially on , isThe Euler product follows from unique prime factorization and absolute convergence; a Dirichlet character is completely multiplicative on this extension. Write for the principal Dirichlet character, equal to one on units and zero elsewhere.
For a nonprincipal Dirichlet character , character orthogonality gives . Explicitly, multiplication by a unit with permutes the unit residues and multiplies this sum by , forcing it to vanish. For setThe numerator is at zero and the denominator is , so is bounded, indeed analytic, near zero; it decays exponentially at infinity. Initially for , absolute convergence justifiesThis Mellin transform integral is holomorphic for , locally uniformly in , and division by the Gamma function proves the requested analytic continuation to the left of the line one.
In fact, the same argument proves Mellin continuation of a nonprincipal Dirichlet L-function to the entire plane. If at zero, subtract this Taylor polynomial on and add its explicit integrals:The last integral is holomorphic on . Its possible simple poles at nonpositive integers cancel against zeros of . Letting increase shows that is an entire function, without any primitivity assumption.
For real , use the absolutely convergent Euler product logarithmThe higher-power remainder has the uniform estimateFor a nonprincipal Dirichlet character , invoke the allowed nonvanishing of a nonprincipal Dirichlet L-function at one. Its holomorphy and nonvanishing give a holomorphic logarithm on a small disk about one. On the connected real interval , differs from this logarithm by a fixed element of : the difference is continuous with exponential one. Thus the prime-character sum near one is bounded. This branch argument is needed for complex-valued Dirichlet characters.
For ,The finite product has a positive limit as , and the residue-one pole of the Riemann zeta function givesHere for nonprincipal Dirichlet characters means bounded complex magnitude.
Finally, for a residue class coprime to , Orthogonality of Dirichlet characters givesOnly primes not dividing occur, so the character orthogonality applies to every term. This sum diverges as . A finite collection of primes would give a bounded sum, a contradiction. Every reduced residue class contains infinitely many primes. This is the Dirichlet theorem on primes in arithmetic progressions; the coprimality hypothesis is essential.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 iii Paper 137 3 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
The displayed definition uses iterated Eisenstein summation in weight two: the sum in is evaluated before the sum in , with the single term omitted. This order is essential. The two-dimensional lattice series does not have absolute convergence, so arbitrary rearrangement would not be justified.
For noninteger , the cosecant partial-fraction identity isFor completeness, apply the residue theorem to on squares with large half-integer sides. The cotangent is bounded on the contours and the integral is . Its residues at the integers are and its residue at is , proving the formula. If , the geometric-series expression , differentiated termwise, gives the cotangent partial-fraction Fourier kernel
Put with in the complex upper half-plane. For positive , this gives . Negative gives the same value, by replacing with in its inner sum. The row is , by the Basel problem. The resulting series in does have absolute convergence, locally uniformly in , so collecting the coefficient at is legitimate:The coefficient is the sum-of-divisors function, since runs over the positive divisors of . ThusThere is no conflict with vanishing of weight-two level-one modular forms: the Eisenstein series of weight two has an anomalous transformation term, so it is not a weight-two modular form.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 ia Paper 1 4D Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
The radius of convergence of the power series isIf , choose with . Since , those terms are bounded, say . Thereforeand comparison with a geometric series proves absolute convergence. If , convergence would imply absolute convergence at every smaller modulus by the same argument, contradicting the definition of .
If , convergence of implies absolute convergence of whenever . Letting approach the radius of the -series shows that .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 ii Paper 1 23H c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-29
Equip with counting measure . For a nonnegative function , defineThis lies in and agrees with the series as a Lebesgue integral against counting measure.
For , definewhen is integrable, which here meansThus the complex sum is defined under absolute convergence and can be obtained by integrating the real and imaginary parts.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 ia Paper 1 3D Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-25
The alternating series test says that if decreases to , thenconverges. Taking proves convergence of the given series.
It is not absolute convergence, because the series of absolute values is the p-serieswhich diverges since . Thus the original series has conditional convergence.
For an explicit divergent rearrangement of a series, take unused positive terms, which are the even-indexed terms, until the partial sum exceeds , then take the first unused negative term. Next take positive terms until the sum exceeds , then the next unused negative term, and continue. Both the positive and negative subseries have infinite total magnitude, so this procedure uses every term. The negative term inserted at stage tends to zero, while the preceding partial sum exceeds ; consequently these rearranged partial sums tend to . This is a divergent series with exactly the prescribed terms.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 327 1 b i Solution 2026-09-28
LetThe integral is absolutely convergent. For a Schwartz function , Fubini's theorem and integration by parts in giveEquivalently, as a distributional derivative, and hence
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 327 3 b Solution 2026-09-28
For a test function , define the proposed integral by reversing the order of integration:The Fourier transform of a test function is a Schwartz function, while . The final integral is consequently absolutely convergent. Repeated integration by parts in bounds it by finitely many seminorms of the test function, so it defines a continuous linear functional on .
Equivalently, put on the two half-lines. ThenThe density has only an integrable inverse-square-root singularity at one and is bounded at infinity, so it is a regular tempered distribution. Its inverse Fourier transform is exactly the proposed oscillatory integral. Thus