First alternative. The Euler product of the Riemann zeta function is absolutely convergent for . Its logarithm and the nonnegative trigonometric polynomial
give
Consequently . Suppose and the Riemann zeta function had a zero of order at . As , its simple pole at one gives , the alleged zero gives , and remains bounded. The product would be , contradicting its lower bound. Thus there are no zeta zeros on ; the point itself is a pole, not a zero.
For the first integral of the Chebyshev function, define
The logarithmic derivative identity , valid for , leads to
To verify the kernel rather than assume an inversion formula, integrate on the vertical line . Closing to the left when gives the residues at zero and minus one, namely ; closing to the right when gives zero. At the integral is zero as well. The horizontal integrals tend to zero because of the quadratic denominator, and the distant vertical integrals vanish in the indicated direction. Multiplying this kernel by with gives . The absolute convergence of the Dirichlet series on , together with the integrable denominator, permits interchange with the integral and proves the formula.
Here is a quantitative contour route from this relation to the Prime number theorem. Question 3 establishes a zero-free region of the Riemann zeta function and the accompanying bounds for its logarithmic derivative, independently of the Prime number theorem. In a sufficiently narrow half-width region they imply
on the left and horizontal sides of the rectangle with heights and left edge , after making small enough also for bounded heights. The explanation of this bound is included at the end of Question 3. Take and . On the original line, the omitted tails are
since the Euler product bounds by . Shift the truncated integral to the left edge. The only enclosed pole is at , with residue ; the kernel poles at zero and minus one lie outside the rectangle. The left edge contributes , since there. The two horizontal edges contribute . In particular, for some ,
It remains to remove the smoothing; differentiating an asymptotic formula would not justify this step. The monotonicity of the Second Chebyshev function gives, for with ,
First let with fixed. After division by , the lower and upper bounds tend to and . Let to obtain . Higher prime powers contribute by the Chebyshev estimate, so . Finally partial summation gives
The integral is , by splitting at and using . This proves the Prime number theorem with .
Second alternative. We prove the functional equation of the Riemann zeta function from a theta function. Set for . With Fourier transform convention , the Gaussian function has
Indeed, differentiation under the integral and integration by parts give , while the Gaussian integral gives . Periodize : the smooth period-one function has Fourier coefficients , by integrating on and interchanging its absolutely convergent sum with the integral. Its absolutely convergent Fourier series, evaluated at zero, proves the Poisson summation formula in this case. Hence
For , termwise integration and the defining integral of the Gamma function give the Mellin representation of the completed Riemann zeta function:
Split at one and substitute in the lower integral. The elementary part is
and the remaining part becomes an integral over . Thus
The integral is an entire function of , because decays exponentially and uniform convergence holds on every compact subset of the complex plane. This proves meromorphic continuation of the completed Riemann zeta function, with only the displayed simple poles, and the right side is invariant under . Therefore
The Gamma reflection formula and Gamma duplication formula give the equivalent form , understood by meromorphic continuation. Multiplication by gives the entire Riemann xi function .
Let count positive ordinates of Nontrivial zeros of the Riemann zeta function up to height , including multiplicity. The Riemann–von Mangoldt formula is
More precisely, away from ordinates of zeros, the constant term is , the additional term is , and the remaining error is . Here the argument is continued along , and . The coarse formula displayed above holds at all large heights with the usual right-continuous counting convention. Subtract it at and : the main term changes by and each error is . Hence
For infinitely many reciprocal-logarithmic gaps between zeta zeros, fix any , for example . Suppose all sufficiently late gaps satisfied . Summing and using
gives . The last elementary estimate follows by integral comparison with and one integration by parts. The Riemann–von Mangoldt formula would imply
a contradiction. This reasoning is valid whether repeated ordinates are listed according to multiplicity or only distinct ordinates are listed, since in either case . Consequently infinitely often, for any fixed .
First continue the Riemann zeta function into . Summing the integral of the integer-part function gives, initially for ,
The last integral defines a holomorphic function for , so this continuation has only a simple pole at one, of residue one.
For , logarithmic expansion of the Euler product and give
This proves the three-four-one product proof of zeta boundary nonvanishing inequality
If and to order , the middle factor is , the first is , and the last remains bounded. Their product tends to zero, a contradiction. At there is a pole, not a zero. The zeta function has no zero on .
Put , where is the Von Mangoldt function. Logarithmic differentiation of the Euler product gives for . The first integral of the Chebyshev function is consequently
To check its kernel, evaluate the contour integral of by closing to the left for and to the right for . The residues at zero and minus one give in the first case and zero in the second. Multiplication by and substitution therefore produce . On the line , the Dirichlet series and vertical integral have absolute convergence, justifying their interchange; at the kernel is zero on either side.
Here is the smoothing step that establishes the requested asymptotic. Shift the line of this contour integral to the left. The pole of at one has residue ; at each Nontrivial zero of the Riemann zeta function of zero multiplicity its residue is . The denominators also contribute at zero and minus one, and the trivial zeros of the Riemann zeta function occur at . Summing these residues yields the smoothed explicit formula for the Chebyshev function
Zeros are repeated with zero multiplicity. For the limits of the contour integral, choose horizontal heights avoiding zero ordinates, where the logarithmic derivative on each fixed strip is . The factor makes their integrals tend to zero. On left edges chosen a fixed distance from the trivial zeros, the functional equation of the Riemann zeta function controls the logarithmic derivative by ; for fixed the remaining vertical integral vanishes as that edge moves left. This is why the extra integration of is useful.
The Riemann–von Mangoldt formula, stated in Question 3, gives , hence
Indeed each dyadic height block contributes . The zero-free line just proved, the nonvanishing Euler product on its right, and the functional equation of the Riemann zeta function put every Nontrivial zero of the Riemann zeta function in . Therefore each tends to zero, with absolute value at most one for . Divide the explicit formula by and use dominated convergence on the zero terms with absolute convergence. The remaining displayed terms are , and we obtain
Monotonicity of removes the smoothing. For ,
After division by , the limits of the two bounds are and . Let to get . Question 1 gives , so . Partial summation now gives
The integral is , by splitting at and using . Inverting this at , we have and hence . Thus the th prime satisfies
For , the absolutely convergent logarithm of the Euler product for the Riemann zeta function is
The elementary identity therefore gives
Thus the expression inside the logarithm is at least one. The Meromorphic continuation of the Riemann zeta function to the right half-plane has only a simple pole at one, of residue one. It follows, for example, from
whose integral is holomorphic there.
Suppose and has a zero of order at . As , the real factor is , the middle factor is , and the factor at is bounded. Their product would tend to zero, contradicting its lower bound one. Hence
At there is a pole, not a zero; the statement about the line does not assert a finite value for . This proves the three-four-one product proof of zeta boundary nonvanishing.
To relate the Second Chebyshev function to the logarithmic derivative, differentiate the Euler product in its half-plane of absolute convergence:
Since , its first integral of the Chebyshev function is
For any fixed , its Mellin inversion formula is
For justification, the elementary contour kernel is for and zero for . Close left or right and take the residues at zero and minus one; at the continuous value is zero. Absolute convergence on allows termwise integration of the Dirichlet series, and multiplying this kernel by gives .
Here is how the relation yields the asymptotic. Move the contour to the left, using the functional equation of the Riemann zeta function to control the left-hand side. The residue at is , and a Nontrivial zero of the Riemann zeta function contributes , multiplied by its multiplicity. The kernel poles at zero and minus one contribute and ; a trivial zero of the Riemann zeta function contributes . Thus the smoothed explicit formula for the Chebyshev function is
For the contour argument, use heights avoiding the zero ordinates and then let those heights increase. The local zero bound from the Riemann–von Mangoldt formula, together with the Local partial-fraction expansion of the Riemann zeta logarithmic derivative, permits heights with logarithmic-derivative bound in each fixed vertical strip. The horizontal integrals then vanish because the denominator is of size . After that, send the left edge through negative odd integers to minus infinity; the functional equation of the Riemann zeta function bounds the logarithmic derivative there by a logarithm, and makes the left integral vanish for fixed . This explains why this smoothing allows a convergent contour calculation without a quantitative zero-free region.
In fact the Riemann–von Mangoldt formula, stated in the next solution, gives and hence
The Nontrivial zeros of the Riemann zeta function satisfy , using the Euler product, the functional equation of the Riemann zeta function, and the nonvanishing just proved. For each such zero, as , whereas for . The dominated convergence theorem therefore makes the absolutely convergent zero sum, divided by , tend to zero. All the other displayed terms are . We obtain
It remains to unsmooth; differentiating an asymptotic without justification would not suffice. Monotonicity of gives, for fixed ,
Divide by and use the integral asymptotic. The lower and upper limits lie between and . Letting proves . Higher prime powers contribute , as in the first solution, so . Finally partial summation gives
The integral is , by and splitting at . Hence
which is the Prime number theorem.