For , expand . Absolute convergence of the integrated series follows from the same expression with in place of . Integrating termwise and substituting gives
This 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 to
The 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. Since
the residue of is , giving . Also
is 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 .
For , expand . Absolute integrability, bounded near zero by a constant times , permits termwise integration. The Gamma function integral then gives
Specify the Hankel contour to run from the negative real axis below the cut towards zero, circle zero counterclockwise with fixed radius , and return above the cut. Take . The circle excludes every nonzero pole of the denominator. For its radius can shrink to zero, and the lower and upper rays give respectively and . By the Gamma reflection formula,
away from integer in that half-plane, with limiting equality at the removable points.
With the circle radius kept fixed, the contour integral is an entire function of : the rays decay exponentially and converge locally uniformly, and the circular part stays away from zero. Multiplication by is analytic for and meromorphic globally. The apparent singularities at positive integers are removable because the integral vanishes there and it already agrees with the original analytic zeta function nearby. Only remains a simple pole. Thus this constructs the meromorphic continuation to the whole plane and an analytic continuation on . Keeping the circular segment is essential when the integral is not locally integrable at zero.
At the two rays cancel, since is single-valued. The Laurent expansion
shows that the residue of is . Since , the residue theorem gives
Take the Hankel contour about the negative real axis: it starts at just below the cut, circles the origin counterclockwise, and returns to just above the cut. The notation records this return side of the branch point. Choose the branch for .
For , collapse the contour onto the two banks of the cut. Their phase difference is determined by
and the resulting sine factor, together with the Gamma reflection formula , recovers the integral representation (‡). The Hankel integral converges exponentially at its unbounded end and, after the standard local subtraction of the singular part at zero, depends holomorphically on . The apparent poles of are cancelled by zeros of the contour integral except at . It therefore gives the analytic continuation of the Riemann zeta function to .
For on the negative-real portions of the Hankel contour, expand
Local uniform convergence permits termwise integration. The reciprocal Hankel formula gives
so initially on the disc.
For , choose the contour around the negative axis so that it passes between zero and every pole satisfying . On compact subsets of the slit -plane it can be chosen uniformly, and differentiation under the integral proves holomorphy. Deforming without crossing a pole gives a single-valued analytic continuation. Near the cut, the pole lies on opposite sides of the two admissible contours; this is why the contour must pass it consistently.
Use the Hankel contour about the negative real axis: it starts at below the cut, circles the origin counterclockwise, and returns to above the cut. Take . For , the small circle vanishes and the two banks give
The gamma reflection formula then gives
Near zero,
Subtracting any desired number of these terms makes the local contour integral converge in successively larger left half-planes. The resulting apparent singularities are removable after multiplication by , so the Hankel formula analytically continues to all .