Sketch of a proof of the Riemann hypothesis

Werner Raab

We consider the Euler series transformation

∞ ∞
X 1 X m t m
u(s + k)(−t)k = f (s, t) = ∆ u(s)( )
1 + t m=0 1+t
k=0

(|t| < 1 or <t > −1/2 respectively) with the finite differences
m  
X m
∆m u(s) = (−1)k u(s + k) = ∆m u(s − 1) − ∆m+1 u(s − 1)
k
k=0

of the function
1
u(s) =
(s − 1)ζ(s)
(for poisitive real values of s). It follows from the convergence of the series
∞ ∞
X u(1/2 + k) X
= f (1/2, −1/2) = 2 ∆m u(1/2)(−1)m
2k m=0
k=0
n
that limn→∞ ∆ u(1/2) = 0, which is why
n−1
X
u(1/2) = u(1/2) − lim ∆n u(1/2) = lim (∆m u(1/2) − ∆m+1 u(1/2))
n→∞ n→∞
m=0

n−1 ∞ ∞
X
m
X
m
X t m
= lim ∆ u(3/2) = ∆ u(3/2) = ∆m u(3/2) lim ( )
n→∞
m=0 m=0 m=0
t→∞ 1+t
∞
X t m
= lim ∆m u(3/2)( ) = lim (f (3/2, t)t) ,
t→∞
m=0
1+t t→∞

due to Abel’s theorem of continuity for power series. Thus we can conclude that
Z ∞
π
v(s) = u(3/2 − s) = ts−1 w(t) dt
sin(πs) 0

is holomorphic in the complex strip: 0 < <s < 1, as Riemann conjectured, since
Z 1/2+i∞ ∞
1 X
t−s v(s) ds = Ress=−k t−s v(s) = f (3/2, t)


w(t) =
2πi 1/2−i∞
k=0

has the properties w(t) = O(1) when t → 0 and w(t) = O(1/t) when t → ∞.