Semantron 25 Summer 2025

Zetas and positive even integers

𝑥 2 𝜋 2

𝑥 2 2 2 𝜋 2

𝑥 2 3 2 𝜋 2

sin(𝑥) 𝑥

lim 𝑥→0

= lim 𝑥→0

𝐴(1−

)(1−

)(1−

)…

Left-hand side approaches 1 using small angle approximation. On the right, each term except 𝐴 approaches 1 as 𝑥 goes to 0 . So 𝐴 must be 1 .

Therefore, we have:

𝑥 2 𝜋 2

𝑥 2 2 2 𝜋 2

𝑥 2 3 2 𝜋 2

sin(𝑥) = 𝑥 (1 −

)(1−

)(1−

)…

And

𝑥 3 3!

𝑥 5 5!

𝑥 7 7!

𝑥 2 𝜋 2

𝑥 2 2 2 𝜋 2

𝑥 2 3 2 𝜋 2

𝑥−

+

+⋯= 𝑥(1−

)(1−

)(1−

)…

Now, we can obtain the value of 𝜁(2) by equating the coefficients of 𝑥 3 .

1 3!

1 𝜋 2

1 2 2

1 3 2

=−

(1+

+

+⋯)

Multiplying both sides by −𝜋 2 to get:

𝜋 2 6

1 2 2

1 3 2

=(1+

+

+⋯)= 𝜁(2)

Unfortunately, it gets much harder from here. To obtain the value for 𝜁(4) , we need to look at the coefficients of 𝑥 5 .

1 5!

1 𝜋 4

1 2 2

1 3 2

1 2 2

1 3 2

=

(1×

+1×

+

×

+⋯)[𝟏]

At first glance, the right-hand side looks like a pile of mess that has nothing to do with 𝜁(4) . Let’s call the sum of everything in the bracket on the right-hand side 𝑀 for mess.

However, consider the expansion of 𝜁(2) 2 , we have:

2

1 1 2

1 2 2

1 3 2

𝜁(2) 2 =(

+

+

+⋯)

2

2

2

1 1 2

1 2 2

1 3 2

1 2 2

1 3 2

1 2 2

1 3 2

=(

)

+(

)

+(

)

+⋯+2(1×

+1×

+

×

+⋯)

= 𝜁(4) + 2𝑀

So, we have

1 2 (𝜁(2) 2 − 𝜁(4)) [𝟐]

𝑀 =

Substitute into [𝟐] into [𝟏] to get:

1 5!

1 2𝜋 4

(𝜁(2) 2 −𝜁(4))

=

109

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