Exercise 2.25

Consider the function ζ ( s ) = ∑ ⁡ n = 1 ∞ 1 ∕ n s . ζ is called the Riemann zeta function. It converges for s > 1 . Prove the formal identity (Euler’s identity)

ζ ( s ) = ∏ p ( 1 − 1 ∕ p s ) − 1 .

Answers

Proof. We prove this equality, not only formally, but for all complex value s such that Re ( s ) > 1 .

Let s ∈ ℂ and f ( n ) = 1 n s , n ∈ ℕ ∗ .

f is completely multiplicative : f ( mn ) = f ( m ) f ( n ) for m , n ∈ ℕ ∗ .

Moreover ∑ ⁡ n = 1 ∞ f ( n ) is absolutely convergent for Re ( s ) > 1 . Indeed, if s = u + iv , u , v ∈ ℝ , | f ( n ) | = | n − s | = | e − s log ⁡ ( n ) | = | e − u log ⁡ ( n ) e − iv log ⁡ ( n ) | = e − u log ⁡ ( n ) = 1 n u , so ∑ ⁡ n = 1 ∞ | f ( n ) | = ∑ n = 1 ∞ 1 ∕ n u converges if u = Re ( s ) > 1 .

With these properties of f ( f multiplicative and ∑ ⁡ n = 1 ∞ f ( n ) absolutely convergent), we will show that

∑ n = 1 ∞ f ( n ) = ∏ p ( 1 + f ( p ) + f ( p 2 ) + ⋯ ) .

Let S ∗ = ∑ ⁡ n = 1 ∞ | f ( n ) | < ∞ , and S = ∑ ⁡ n = 1 ∞ f ( n ) ∈ ℂ . For each prime number p , ∑ ⁡ k = 1 ∞ | f ( p k ) | converges (this sum is less than S ∗ ), so ∑ ⁡ k = 0 ∞ f ( p k ) converges absolutely. Thus, for x ∈ ℝ , the two finite products

P ( x ) = ∏ p ≤ x ∑ k = 0 ∞ f ( p k ) , P ∗ ( x ) = ∏ p ≤ x ∑ k = 0 ∞ | f ( p k ) |

are well defined.

If p , q are two prime numbers, as ∑ ⁡ i = 0 ∞ f ( p i ) , ∑ j = 0 ∞ f ( q j ) are absolutely convergent, ( f ( p i ) f ( q j ) ) ( i , j ) ∈ ℕ 2 is summable, so the sum of these elements can be arranged in any order :

∑ i = 0 ∞ f ( p i ) ∑ k = 0 ∞ f ( q k ) = ∑ ( i , j ) ∈ ℕ 2 f ( p i ) f ( q j ) = ∑ ( i , j ) ∈ ℕ 2 f ( p i q j ) .

If p 1 , ⋯ , p t are all the prime p ≤ x , repeating t times these products, we obtain

P ( x ) = ∏ p ≤ x ∑ k = 0 ∞ f ( p k ) = ∑ i 1 = 0 ∞ f ( p 1 i 1 ) ⋯ ∑ i t = 0 ∞ f ( p t i t ) = ∑ ( i 1 , … , i k ) ∈ ℕ k f ( p 1 i 1 ⋯ p t i t ) = ∑ n ∈ Δ f ( n ) ,

where Δ is the set of integers n ∈ ℕ ∗ whose prime factors are not greater than x . Let Δ ¯ = ℕ ∗ ∖ Δ : this is the set of numbers n ∈ ℕ ∗ such that at least a prime factor is greater than x . So

P ( x ) = ∑ n ∈ Δ f ( n ) = S − ∑ n ∈ Δ ¯ f ( n ) .

Then

| P ( x ) − S | ≤ ∑ n ∈ Δ ¯ | f ( n ) | ≤ ∑ n ≥ x | f ( n ) | .

So lim ⁡ x → + ∞ P ( x ) = S , that is

∏ p ∑ k = 0 ∞ f ( p k ) = ∑ n = 1 ∞ f ( n ) .

Finally,

∑ n = 1 ∞ 1 n s = ∏ p ( 1 + 1 p s + ⋯ + 1 p ks + ⋯ ) = ∏ p ( 1 − 1 ∕ p s ) − 1 □
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2022-07-19 00:00
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