A3.9

Number Theory | Part II, 2002

(i) Let π(x)\pi(x) denote the number of primes ⩽x\leqslant x, where xx is a positive real number. State and prove Legendre's formula relating π(x)\pi(x) to π(x)\pi(\sqrt{x}). Use this formula to compute π(100)−π(10).\pi(100)-\pi(10) .

(ii) Let ζ(s)=∑n=1∞n−s\zeta(s)=\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} n^{-s}, where ss is a real number greater than 1 . Prove the following two assertions rigorously, assuming always that s>1s>1. (a) ζ(s)=∏p(1−p−s)−1\zeta(s)=\prod_{p}\left(1-p^{-s}\right)^{-1}, where the product is taken over all primes pp; (b) ζ(s)=11−21−s∑n=1∞(−1)n−1ns\zeta(s)=\frac{1}{1-2^{1-s}} \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{(-1)^{n-1}}{n^{s}}.

Explain why (b) enables us to define ζ(s)\zeta(s) for 0<s<10<s<1. Deduce from (b) that lim⁡s→1(s−1)ζ(s)=1\lim _{s \rightarrow 1}(s-1) \zeta(s)=1.

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