0.

1 Complex zeroes of exponential sums

0.1.1 Statement
Let z = σ + it, (ak ) and (bk ) be two real sequences such that
∞
X
ak exp(z · bk ) = 0
k=1
P
In other words, z is a zero of CΣ : z 7→ k≥1 ak exp(z · bk ). Then, we can
show that ∞ X ∞
X aj ak cos(t · bj − t · bk )
=0
j=1 k=1
1/ exp(σ · b j + σ · b k )
is an equivalent statement for the same values of σ and t as in z = σ + it.

0.1.2 Proof
Since the absolute value of a complex number is the square root of the sum
of its real and imaginary part’s squares, we can deduce that
∞ 2 ∞ 2
P  P
 ak exp(z · bk ) = ak exp(σ · bk ) sin (t · bk )
 
k=1 k=1 2
P∞
+ ak exp(σ · bk ) cos (t · bk )
k=1

Using the distributive property linking multiplication and addition, we can

show that !2
n n j
X X X
ck = cj ck
k=1 j=1 k=1

Hence, we have the following relation

∞
!2 ∞ X ∞
X X exp(σ · bk ) cos(t · bk )
ak exp(σ · bk ) cos(t · bk ) = aj ak
k=1 j=1 k=1
exp(−σ · bj ) sec(t · bj )

for the square of the real part of the original sum for which we seek the
zeroes, and for the square of the imaginary part, we have
∞
!2 ∞ X ∞
X X exp(σ · bk ) sin(t · bk )
ak exp(σ · bk ) sin(t · bk ) = aj ak
k=1 j=1 k=1
exp(−σ · bj ) csc(t · bj )

1
Since a real number squared is always greater than or equal to zero, we can
deduce that the first equation is equivalent to
∞ X ∞ ∞ X ∞
X exp(σ · bk ) cos(t · bk ) X exp(σ · bk ) sin(t · bk )
aj ak = − aj ak
j=1 k=1
exp(−σ · b j ) sec(t · b j ) j=1 k=1
exp(−σ · b j ) csc(t · b j )

We can also make it more compact using some trigonometric tricks and
writing it as
∞ X ∞
X aj ak cos(t · bj − t · bk )
=0
j=1 k=1
1/ exp(σ · b j + σ · b k )

0.1.3 Consequences
If there exists a zero-free region S ⊂ C of CΣ , then using the fact that squares
of real numbers belong in {x | x ≥ 0}, we can deduce that, for all (σ, t) such
that σ + it ∈ S, we have
∞ X ∞
X aj ak cos(t · bj − t · bk )
>0
j=1 k=1
1/ exp(σ · b j + σ · b k )

From this, we can derive that, for η the Dirichlet eta function (η : σ +
P cos(πk)
it 7→ k≥1 exp(σ log k+it log k)
), since it is believe to only have zeroes landing
in σ ∈ {1/2, 1} (Riemann hypothesis), and since we know the Riemann ζ
function only has nontrivial zeroes in ]0, 1[, we could deduce a statement
which would imply the hypothesis, statement which would be that, for all
(σ, t) ∈ {x | x ≥ 0}2 ,
η(σ + it)
6= 0
sin2 2πσ
and since the denominator is positive, we can now substitute ak by cos(πk)
and bk by − log k, allowing us to restate it as
∞ X ∞
X csc2 (2πσ) cos(t log(j/k))
>0
j=1 k=1
sec(πj + πk) exp(σ log jk)