Topics in analytic number theory, Lent 2013.

Lecture 23: Approximating log zeta

Bob Hough
March 13, 2013
Reference for this lecture: Selberg, Contributions to the theory of the Riemann zeta-function. In Collected Papers vol 1.
Before we begin, recall the partial fraction development of 0 /, valid for
1/2 2, t 2 (see Lemma 7.3)

X
0
( + it) = O(log t)

()=0
|t|1

1
.
+ it

(1)

Recall also that for the same range of and t, Stirlings approximation gives
|( + it)|  e
and

t
2

t1/2


 0


 ( + it)  log t.



Finally, we recall that we defined, for T not equal to the imaginary part of a
zero of ,
S(T ) = arg((1/2 + iT ))
found by continuously varying the argument from 0 at s = 2 to 2 + iT , and from
there to 1/2 + iT .
Theorem 23.1. We have
S(T ) = O(log T ).
Proof. Since arg((2 + iT )) = O(1), we have
Z

= 0 /( + iT )d.

S(T ) = O(1)
1/2

By (1) this is
Z

O(log T )

=
1/2

X
:|T |1

1
d.
+ iT

This last integral measures the change in argument from at most O(log T ) zeros,
and the change from any given zero is at most .
1

For the remainder of the course we assume the Riemann Hypothesis, and
make a more detailed study of log (1/2 + it). The starting point will be the
following approximate formula for the logarithmic derivative.
Lemma 23.2. Let 1/2 < and 2 x t. Set s = + it. We have
2

X log p
X log p log pxn
X x2(s) xs
0
(s) =
+

+
ns
ns

p
p
log x
( s)2 log x
pn x
x<pn x2
()=0

 1/2

 1
x
log t
x
+ x2(1)
+
O
+O
t2 log x
log x

(2)

Proof. We evaluate in two ways the integrals

2+i

x2w xw
1
0
(s + w) 2
dw

w log x
2i

12 +i

x2w xw
0
(s + w) 2
dw

w log x
2i
12 i
(3)
First notice that in the second integral <(w + s) = 1/2 so, by (1),
 0



 (s + w)  log(1 + |t =w|)  log t + log(1 + |w|).


1
2i

Therefore the second integral is


O

x1/2 log t
log x


.

Expanding 0 / in its series, we may write the first integral as

X log p 1 Z 2+i 1 x2w xw
dw.
pns 2i 2i pnw w2 log x
p,n
Recall that
1
2i

2+i

2i

z w dw
=
w2

log z
0

z1
.
0<z<1

Thus the first integral combined with the second is equal to

X log p
+
pns
n

p x

x2

X
x<pn x2

log p log pn
+O
pns log x

x1/2 log t
log x


.

(4)

To evaluate the pair of integrals a second way, note that they are formally
equal to the sum of residues enclosed, given by

X x2(s) xs
0
x2(1s) x1s
(s) +

(1 s)2 log x
( s)2 log x

(5)

()=0

Equating this with (4) proves the lemma.

To justify (5) let T0 > t be large, and choose T [T0 , T0 + 1] such that
|T |  1/ log T0 (possible by Lemma 7.3). Truncate both the first and
second integrals at height |=(w)| = T and connect them with horizontal lines
2

at this height. Then the new contour has value equal to the sum of residues
2
log T
with height at most T . The error from truncation was O( xT log
x ). On the
0
2
horizontal lines at height T , / = O((log T ) ) by (1). Thus these contribute
2
T )2
O( xT(log
2 log x ). Letting T the errors tend to 0, proving the result.
The next lemma will be used to show that the contribution of the primes
dominates the contribution of the zeros in the formula (2) when s is at a sufficient distance to the right of the half-line. It is based upon logarithmically
differentiating the Hadamard product for (s):
 0 
X

1
1 X
RH
<
(s) =
=
(

)
.
2
2

( ) + (t )
2
|s |2
()=0

()=0

(Note that this proves that, on RH, |( + it)| is an increasing function of for
1/2. This would not be true for all t if RH is false.)
A
Lemma 23.3. Assume RH. Let 2 x < t. Let = 21 + log
x < 1. Set s = +it.
There exists a constant A0 such that if A A0 then





x2 
X
X
X
log

log p
log T log x
1
2 log x 
log p
pn 
+O

+
.
|s |2
A  n
pns
pns log x 
A
n
2
p x

()=0

x<p x

Also,


2 

X log p log pxn 
X log p

 + O(log T ).
| 0 /(s)|  
+
ns
pns log x 
pn x p
n
2
x<p x
Proof. Recall
0
1 0
log 1
1
0
(s) = (s) +
(s/2)

.

2
2
s s1
Thus

1 X
1
<( 0 /(s)) = ( )
| 0 /(s)| + O(log t).
2
|s |2

(6)

()=0

A
Note that ( 1/2) = log
x
By the previous lemma


X
 X log p
0
| /(s)| 
+
pns
 n
n
p x

x<p x2

 


x2   X
2(s)
s
log



x
x
log p
pn  
+O(log t)
+



pns
log x  
( s)2 log x 
()=0

(7)
This sum over zeros is bounded by
2eA X
1
.
log x
|s |2
()=0

Thus if A0 satisfies 2eA0 = A0 , then for A > A0 this sum over zerosH is
bounded by half the sum on the LHS of (6). It follows that


2 

X log p log pxn 
 X log p
1 X
1
 + O(log t),
( )
2 
+

2
|s |2
pns
pns
log x 
 n
n
2
p x

()=0

x<p x

which proves the result for the sum over . Feeding this back into (7) proves
the bound for 0 /.
We now prove our basic estimate for log to the right of the half-line.
Theorem 23.4. Assume RH. Let 2 < x < t and let =
A > A0 . Set s = + it. There exists , || < 1 such that

1
2

A
log x

< 1 with

log (s) =

pn x

1
+
npns

X
x<pn x2

log pxn
1

npns log x






x2 
X
X
log

log p
log t
log p
2 
pn 
+
O
+

.
+
log x  n
pns
pns
log x 
log x
n
2
p x
x<p x
Proof. Write
Z

log ( + it) =

0 0
( + it)d 0 .

Substituting the expression for / from Lemma 23.2, the two prime sums
contribute the first two terms, while the error terms may be absorbed into the
error, so it remains to consider the contribution of the zeros. This is bounded
by
Z
X
1
1
2x1/2 X
1/2 0
0
.
2x
d

|s |2 log x
(log x)2
|s |2
()=0
A

Using 2e

()=0

A and the bound of the previous lemma proves the theorem.