The truth of the Riemann hypothesis

Werner Raab

Abstract
We shall show that the meromorphic function
π
v(s) =
sin(πs)(1/2 − s)ζ(3/2 − s)

is holomorphic within the complex strip: 0 < <s < 1, since it is the
Mellin transform Z ∞
v(s) = ts−1 w(t) dt
0
of the function Z 1/2+i∞
1
w(t) = t−s v(s) ds
2πi 1/2−i∞

with the properties

w(t) = O(1) when t → 0

and
w(t) = O(1/t) when t → ∞.

Keyword: Riemann hypothesis

Mathematics Subject Classification: 11M26

1 A Mellin transformation
We consider the reciprocal
1
u(s) = (1)
(s − 1)ζ(s)

of the regularized zeta-function (s − 1)ζ(s) with the complex variable s.

1
 The famous Riemann hypothesis may be expressed by the claim that the
meromorphic function
π
v(s) = u(3/2 − s) (2)
sin(πs)
is holomorphic within the complex strip: 0 < <s < 1.
Theorem 1 Within the complex strip: 0 < <s < 1/2, the function v(s) is
equal to the Mellin transform
Z ∞
v(s) = ts−1 w(t) dt (3)
0
of the series s
∞
2 X µ(ν) t
w(t) = √ arctan (4)
t ν=1 ν ν
with the values µ(ν) of the Möbius arithmetic function.
Proof. The Möbius numbers µ(ν) can be defined by the Dirichlet series
∞
X
1 µ(ν)
= .
ζ(s) ν=1 ν s
This converges in the half plane: <s > 1 and vanishes at s = 1.
If 0 < <s < 1/2, then it follows from the Mellin transformation
Z √t/ν
s
Z ∞ Z ∞
t dx
ts−3/2 arctan dt = ts−3/2 dt
0 ν 0 0 1 + x2
√ Z ∞
s−1
Z 1
dx √ Z 1 Z ∞ ts−1
= ν t dt = ν dt dx
0 0 ν + x2 t 0 0 ν + x2 t
Z ∞ s−1 Z 1
s−1/2 t dx ν s−1/2
=ν dt = π
0 1+t 0 x2s sin(πs)(1 − 2s)
that ∞
π X µ(ν)
v(s) =
sin(πs)(1/2 − s) ν=1 ν 3/2−s
s s
∞
X µ(ν) Z ∞ s−3/2 t Z ∞ X∞
µ(ν) t
=2 t arctan dt = 2 ts−3/2 arctan dt.
ν=1 ν 0 ν 0 ν=1 ν ν
In addition, we remark that
∞ µ r ¶ ∞ r
2 X µ(ν) π ν 2 X µ(ν) ν
w(t) = √ − arctan = −√ arctan . (5)
t ν=1 ν 2 t t ν=1 ν t

2
2 Power series expansions
Theorem 2 If 0 ≤ t < 1, then w(t) is represented by the power series
∞
X
w(t) = u(3/2 + k)(−t)k . (6)
k=0

Proof. According to the definition (4) we have

∞ ∞ µ ¶1/2+k
2 X µ(ν) X (−1)k t
w(t) = √
t ν=1 ν k=0 1 + 2k ν
∞ ∞ ∞
X (−t)k X µ(ν) X (−t)k
= = .
k=0 1/2 + k ν=1 ν 3/2+k k=0 (1/2 + k)ζ(3/2 + k)

Another way to derive this result is the Mellin inversion

1 Z 1/2+i∞ −s X∞
t−s u(3/2 − s)
w(t) = t v(s) ds = π Ress=−k .
2πi 1/2−i∞ k=0 sin(πs)

Theorem 3 If 0 ≤ t < ∞, then w(t) is represented by the series

∞ µ ¶m
1 X t
w(t) = ∆m u(3/2) (7)
1 + t m=0 1+t

with the differences

m
à !
m
X m (−1)k
∆ u(3/2) = .
k=0 k (1/2 + k)ζ(3/2 + k)

Proof. The identities

∞
à !µ ¶m
k 1 X m t
t =
1 + t m=k k 1+t

hold for t > −1/2. According to Theorem 2 we obtain the power series
∞ ∞
à !µ ¶m
X X m t
k
(1 + t)w(t) = u(3/2 + k)(−1)
k=0 m=k k 1+t
∞ µ ¶m X
m
à !
X t m
= (−1)k u(3/2 + k).
m=0 1+t k=0 k

3
3 Finite differences
In order to estimate the fuction w(t) when the positive real variable t tends
to infinity, we glance at the general theory of the finite differences
m
à !
X m
m
∆ u(s) = (−1)k u(s + k) = ∆m+1 u(s) + ∆m u(s + 1). (8)
k=0 k
The sequence of the partial sums
n−1
X n−1
X ³ ´
∆m u(s + 1) = ∆m u(s) − ∆m+1 u(s) = u(s) − ∆n u(s)
m=0 m=0

converges to the limit

∞
X
∆m u(s + 1) = u(s) − lim ∆n u(s),
n→∞
m=0

if limn→∞ ∆n u(s) exists.

Theorem 4 If s is a positive real number, then
lim ∆n u(s) = 0. (9)
n→∞

Proof. For each fixed positive value of the real variable s the series
∞
X u(s + k) k
f (s, t) = t
k=0 k!
represents an entire function of the variable t. The Cauchy product
∞ ∞
−t
X u(s + k) k X (−1)m m
f (s, t)e = t t
k=0 k! m=0 m!
∞ m
à ! ∞
X (−t)m X m X ∆m u(s)
= (−1)k u(s + k) = (−t)m
m=0 m! k=0 k m=0 m!
may be considered as a generating function of the differences ∆m u(s). The
series
X∞
u(s + k) X ∞
u(s + k) Z ∞ k −2t Z ∞
k+1
= t e dt = f (s, t)e−2t dt
k=0 2 k=0 k! 0 0

∞ Z ∞ ∞
X ∆m u(s) m
X
= (−1) tm e−t dt = (−1)m ∆m u(s)
m=0 m! 0 m=0
m m
converges apparently. Therefore the terms (−1) ∆ u(s) tend to zero.

4
4 Conclusion
Theorem 5 The function
∞
X µ ¶m
m t
(1 + t)w(t) = ∆ u(3/2)
m=0 1+t
of the positive real variable t is bounded, i. e.
w(t) = O(1/t) (10)
when t tends to infinity.
Proof. From Theorem 4 it is plain that the limit
∞
X
∆m u(3/2) = u(1/2) − n→∞
lim ∆n u(1/2) = u(1/2) (11)
m=0

exists. According to Abel’s theorem of continuity for power series, we have

∞
X µ ¶m ∞
X µ ¶m
m t m t
u(1/2) = ∆ u(3/2) lim = lim ∆ u(3/2) .
m=0
t→∞ 1+t t→∞
m=0 1+t
Now we have arrived at our goal: the Mellin integral
Z ∞
π
v(s) = = ts−1 w(t) dt
sin(πs)(1/2 − s)ζ(3/2 − s) 0

represents a holomorphic function not only within the strip: 0 < <s < 1/2
(Theorem 1), but moreover within the entire strip: 0 < <s < 1, as Riemann
conjectured.
Finally, we note an interesting consequence of our derivation: the formulas
(4) and (5) on the one hand, and (6) and (11) on the other hand, show that
s
∞ ∞
2 X µ(ν) t X µ(ν)
u(3/2) = w(0) = lim √ arctan =2 √
t→0 t ν=1 ν ν ν=1 ν ν

and
√ X∞ r ∞
µ(ν) ν X µ(ν)
u(1/2) = lim w(t)t = −2 lim t arctan = −2 √ .
ν=1 ν t ν
t→∞ t→∞
ν=1

The idea of our proof is due in substance to Marcel Riesz [2].

For details concerning the fundamentals of the Riemann zeta-function we
refer to Landau’s classical Handbuch [1].
A.M.D.G.

5
References
[1] E. Landau, Handbuch der Lehre von der Verteilung der Primzahlen. Third
(corrected) edition, two volumes in one, Chelsea Publishing, New York,
1974. (First edition, in two volumes, 1909.)

[2] M. Riesz, Sur l’hypothèse de Riemann. Acta Math. 40 (1916), 185-190.

Collected Papers, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, 1988,
165-170.

Werner Raab
Dr. phil., Professor, retired member of the
Mathematical Institute of the University of Bonn
Residence: Anton-Klieber-Str. 14, 6410 Telfs, Austria
E-mail: werner.raab@hotmail.com