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TheoremStatement: Literature-sourcedProof: AI-generatedprecheck passaudited 2026-09-04
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The only zeros of zeta on the nonpositive real axis are the negative even integers, and every other zero lies in the open critical strip

Statement

For each integer m1,

ζ(2m)=0.

These are the only zeros of ζ on the nonpositive real axis. Every other zero ρ of ζ satisfies 0<Reρ<1. Moreover, if ρ is a nontrivial zero, then so are 1ρ and ρ.

Facts & Assumptions

Given: The classical functional equation.

[L1]

Zeta satisfies ζ(s)=2sπs1sin(πs/2)Γ(1s)ζ(1s) (The Riemann zeta function satisfies the classical sine-gamma functional equation).

[L3]

Gamma extends meromorphically to C with poles only at the nonpositive integers (Meromorphic continuation of Gamma).

[L4]

Gamma has no zeros (Gamma has no zeros).

[L5]

On Res>1, zeta is given by the Dirichlet series n1ns (The Riemann zeta function on the half-plane Res>1).

Proof

technique · direct
1.1

Let m1. Substituting s=2m into [L1], the sine factor vanishes, Γ(1+2m) is finite by [L3], and ζ(1+2m)0 by [L2]. Hence ζ(2m)=0.

L1L2L3givenalgebra
2.1

For x<0 real and not a negative even integer, the sine factor in [L1] is nonzero. Also 1x>1, so [L2] gives ζ(1x)0, and [L3] with [L4] gives Γ(1x)0. Therefore [L1] forces ζ(x)0. To handle x=0, let s0 in [L1]: one has sin(πs/2)πs/2, Γ(1s)1, and zeta has a simple residue-one pole at 1, so ζ(1s)1/s. Thus ζ(0)=1/20. Hence the only nonpositive real zeros are the numbers 2,4,.

step 1.1L1L2L3L4algebra
3.1

Now let ρ be any zero of zeta that is not one of the negative even integers. If Reρ0, then [L2] gives ζ(1ρ)0 because Re(1ρ)1, and [L4] gives Γ(1ρ)0 unless 1ρ is a nonpositive integer, which cannot happen when Reρ0. Since the sine factor in [L1] vanishes only at even integers, step 2.1 rules out that possibility. Therefore [L1] cannot vanish at ρ, a contradiction. So every zero not listed in step 1.1 satisfies Reρ>0. Applying [L2] again excludes Reρ1, so every remaining zero lies in 0<Reρ<1.

step 1.1step 2.1L1L2L4algebra
4.1

If ρ is a nontrivial zero, then step 3.1 places it in the open critical strip. The sine and Gamma factors in [L1] are therefore finite and nonzero, so the functional equation gives ζ(1ρ)=0. On Res>1, the Dirichlet series in [L5] satisfies ζ(s)=ζ(s) term by term. Meromorphic continuation therefore extends this identity to all s1, so ζ(ρ)=0 implies ζ(ρ)=0.

step 3.1L1L3L4L5algebra

Depends on

Used by

Dependency tree · two levels

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Sources