# Is this :$\sum_{n=1}^{\infty }\zeta(2n)-\zeta(2n+1)=\frac{1}{2}$?

I would like to know the behavior of the Riemann zeta function values at even and odd integers for studying irrationality between those values. I have tried using wolfram alpha to check the value of this sum: $$\sum_{n = 1}^{\infty}\left[\zeta\left(2n\right)-\zeta\left(2n + 1\right)\right].$$ It tells me it equals $\frac{1}{2}$ .

Note: I don't have any method to show if the titled sum is true . Maybe I find who is help me here for evaluating the titled sum.

Thanks for any help.

Note that , due to the absolute convergence, we have$$\sum_{n\geq1}\left(\zeta\left(2n\right)-\zeta\left(2n+1\right)\right)=\sum_{n\geq1}\left(\sum_{k\geq1}\frac{1}{k^{2n}}-\sum_{k\geq1}\frac{1}{k^{2n+1}}\right)$$ $$=\sum_{n\geq1}\sum_{k\geq1}\frac{k-1}{k^{2n+1}}=\sum_{k\geq2}\sum_{n\geq1}\frac{k-1}{k^{2n+1}}$$ $$=\sum_{k\geq2}\frac{1}{k\left(k+1\right)}=\sum_{k\geq2}\left(\frac{1}{k}-\frac{1}{k+1}\right)=\color{red}{\frac{1}{2}}.$$

• @FelixMarin Yes, I'm an idiot :D – Marco Cantarini Nov 19 '16 at 8:51
• It happens sometimes: we says $2 + 2 =5$ several times. After sleeping, we recover the $4$. You're not an idiot. You are very clever. – Felix Marin Nov 19 '16 at 8:53

The computation is not hard:

\begin{align*} \sum_{n=1}^{\infty}[\zeta(2n) - \zeta(2n+1)] &= \sum_{n=1}^{\infty}(-1)^{n+1}[\zeta(n+1) - 1] \\ &= \sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\frac{(-1)^{n+1}}{n!}\sum_{k=2}^{\infty} \frac{n!}{k^{n+1}} \\ &= \sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\frac{(-1)^{n+1}}{n!}\sum_{k=2}^{\infty} \int_{0}^{\infty} x^n e^{-kx} \, dx \\ &\stackrel{(1)}{=} \sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\frac{(-1)^{n+1}}{n!}\int_{0}^{\infty} \frac{x^n e^{-2x}}{1 - e^{-x}} \, dx \\ &\stackrel{(2)}{=} \int_{0}^{\infty} \bigg( \sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\frac{(-1)^{n+1}}{n!} x^n \bigg)\frac{e^{-2x}}{1 - e^{-x}} \, dx \\ &= \int_{0}^{\infty} e^{-2x} \, dx = \frac{1}{2}. \end{align*}

For $\text{(1)}$, we utilized Tonelli's theorem to interchange the order of integral and summation. For $\text{(2)}$, we utilized Fubini's theorem along with the estimate:

$$\int_{0}^{\infty} \bigg( \sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\frac{x^n }{n!} \bigg)\frac{e^{-2x}}{1 - e^{-x}} \, dx = \int_{0}^{\infty} e^{-x} \, dx < \infty.$$

• "The computation is not hard": haha. – Yves Daoust Nov 18 '16 at 16:59


The 'even' and 'odd' above sums are well known identities.