Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2003 iii Paper 22 2 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
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 giveThis proves the three-four-one product proof of zeta boundary nonvanishing inequalityIf 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 consequentlyTo 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 functionZeros 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 , henceIndeed 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
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 iii Paper 28 2 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
For , the absolutely convergent logarithm of the Euler product for the Riemann zeta function isThe elementary identity therefore givesThus 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, fromwhose 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. HenceAt 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 isFor any fixed , its Mellin inversion formula isFor 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 isFor 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 henceThe 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 givesThe integral is , by and splitting at . Hencewhich is the Prime number theorem.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2012 iii Paper 29 3 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-07
For , define the Riemann zeta function by the absolutely convergent Dirichlet seriesThe Euler product follows from unique prime factorization and absolute convergence. The counting-function integral givesBecause the fractional part is bounded, the last integral, and its derivatives with respect to on compact subsets, converge uniformly for . It is a holomorphic function there. This proves the Meromorphic continuation of the Riemann zeta function to the right half-plane, with a simple pole at one of residue one and no other singularity in that half-plane.
The Gamma function isThe Gamma function recurrence extends it meromorphically; its poles are at the nonpositive integers and it has no zeros. The functional equation of the Riemann zeta function can be stated asor, equivalently,These are identities of meromorphic functions; the second also extends the Riemann zeta function to the remaining half-plane. The critical strip is ; its boundary lines will also be treated below, rather than included among possible exceptional zeros.
For , the absolutely convergent reciprocal Euler product gives . For , the factors , , and in the second functional equation of the Riemann zeta function are finite and nonzero. Hence the only zeros there are the zeros of the sine factor:Each is simple. At zero, the sine zero cancels the pole of ; using its residue one gives , not zero. Nonvanishing on the rest of follows from the boundary-line proof below and the functional equation of the Riemann zeta function. Together these facts prove that the trivial zeros of the Riemann zeta function are the only zeros outside the open critical strip.
Here is a Jensen disk proof of the zeta zero-count bound which avoids any unproved left-half-plane growth estimate. Set , a holomorphic function throughout , including at one. The integral continuation formula givesFor each integer , apply Jensen's formula in the disk with centre , outer radius and inner radius . The outer disk stays in , so its maximum modulus is . At its centre,since . Therefore the number of zeros in its inner disk, counted with multiplicity, is at mostThe rectangle , fits in the inner disk because its farthest point has distance . Summing over such disks counts zeros in the right half of the critical strip up to height . The first functional equation of the Riemann zeta function bijects zeros, with multiplicities, in the left half with their reflections in the right half; its Gamma function factors are finite and nonzero in the strip. ThusThe pole of zeta function at one does not count as a zero: .
Finally, for real and , the Euler-product logarithms and the nonnegative trigonometric polynomialgive the three-four-one product proof of zeta boundary nonvanishing:If had a zero of order , its factor would be as . The real zeta function factor has pole order three, and the factor at stays bounded because . The product would tend to zero as , contradicting that it is at least one. ThereforeAt there is a pole, not a zero. Applying the sine-form functional equation of the Riemann zeta function at now proves nonvanishing on the remaining imaginary axis, completing the earlier assertion about all zeros outside the critical strip.
Reciprocal zeta bounds near the line one 2026-10-14
For , the three-four-one inequality for Euler products gives . For , the fractional-part continuation formula for the Riemann zeta function, truncated at , gives . Thus the reciprocal bound even holds with exponent instead of in this range. On bounded-height compact sets, three-four-one product proof of zeta boundary nonvanishing and removal of the reciprocal's zero at the pole give uniform bounds. Differentiating repeatedly yieldsThe range restriction matters: as , so the first displayed bound cannot hold uniformly for all . A global version replaces with .