Zeta and L-Functions - Key Proof
We prove that Dirichlet -functions do not vanish at , the key to Dirichlet's theorem on primes in arithmetic progressions.
Let be a non-principal Dirichlet character modulo . We prove .
Step 1: Logarithmic derivative
For :
This follows from the Euler product .
Step 2: Consider the product over all characters
For characters modulo :
where is the principal character. Taking logarithmic derivatives:
where depends on .
Step 3: Orthogonality of characters
By character orthogonality: if and otherwise.
Therefore, the sum has a positive contribution from all primes, dominating other terms.
Step 4: Approaching
As :
since has a simple pole at (essentially with finitely many Euler factors removed).
Step 5: Contradiction if
If for some non-principal , then has a simple pole at with residue related to the order of vanishing.
Summing over all characters, the left side becomes unbounded, but the right side:
is bounded as by character orthogonality (only finitely many primes contribute per residue class).
This contradiction proves for all non-principal .
Step 6: Implication for primes
The non-vanishing implies:
Therefore infinitely many primes exist, with asymptotic density following from more refined analysis.
This proof, due to Dirichlet, was revolutionary: it introduced -functions and analytic methods to number theory. The techniqueβrelating zeros of -functions to distribution of primesβbecame the paradigm for analytic number theory.
Modern proofs use similar ideas but with more sophisticated tools (Tauberian theorems, zero-free regions) to obtain effective bounds and error terms.