Riemann-Siegel theta function
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In mathematics, the Riemann-Siegel theta function is defined in terms of the Gamma function as
for real values of t. Here the argument is chosen in such a way that a continuous function is obtained, i.e., in the same way that the principal branch of the log Gamma function is defined.
It has an asymptotic expansion
which is strongly convergent for .
It is of interest in studying the Riemann zeta function, since it gives the argument of the zeta function on the critical line s = 1 / 2 + it.
The Riemann-Siegel theta function is an odd real analytic function for real values of t; it is an increasing function for values |t| > 6.29.
[edit] Theta as a function of a complex variable
We have an infinite series expression for the log Gamma function
where γ is Euler's constant. Substituting (2it + 1) / 4 for z and taking the imaginary part termwise gives the following series for θ(t)
For values with imaginary part between -1 and 1, the arctangent function is holomorphic, and it is easily seen that the series converges uniformly on compact sets in the region with imaginary part between -1/2 and 1/2, leading to a holomorphic function on this domain. It follows that the Z function is also holomorphic in this region, which is the critical strip.
We may use the identities
to obtain the closed-form expression
which extends our original definition to a holomorphic function of t. Since the principal branch of log Γ has a single branch cut along the negative real axis, θ(t) in this definition inherits branch cuts along the imaginary axis above i/2 and below -i/2.
[edit] Gram points
The Riemann zeta function on the critical line can be written
where Z, the Z function, is real for real t. Hence the zeta function on the critical line will be real when sin(θ(t)) = 0. Positive real values of t where this occurs are called Gram points, after J.-P. Gram, and can of course also be described as the points where θ(t) / π is an integer.
Gram points are useful when computing the zeros of Z(t). At a Gram point gn,
and if this is positive at two successive Gram points, Z must have a zero in the interval. Since (-1)nZ(gn) very often is positive (a phenomenon called Gram's law) this turns out in practice to be quite useful.