hackertube.io

But what is the Riemann zeta function? Visualizing analytic continuation

3Blue1Brown · explainer · Watch on YouTube

Pure mathematicsRecreational & visual math

What it is

3Blue1Brown visualizes the Riemann zeta function and the analytic continuation that extends it beyond where its series converges, building toward the Riemann hypothesis.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN praises its visualizations, its handling of the -1/12 result, and its ending, and often prefers it to other explanations of the topic.

  • 6 people recommended it
  • 5 different months
  • 2 strong recommendations
  • first 2017, last 2023

What HN commenters said

  1. “(Watch the last 30s or so if nothing else. You'll not regret it.)”

    Visualizing zeta function and analytic continuation, great ending

    laurilove, 2018-05 · Strong recommendation · in “An Interesting Pattern in the Prime Numbers: Parallax Compression”

  2. “I don't think it comes close to 3blue1brown's video on the same topic -”

    Considered better than the posted video on the topic

    st1x7, 2021-01 · Strong recommendation · in “How I learned to love and fear the Riemann Hypothesis”

  3. “It's not as in depth but it has some helpful visualisations that I've never seen elsewhere.”

    Helpful visualisations of the Riemann zeta function

    vq, 2017-01 · Recommendation · in “The Riemann Hypothesis, explained”

  4. “which might help in further understanding of this proof.”

    Visualization aiding understanding of the proof

    denzil_correa, 2018-06 · Recommendation · in “Mathematician-M.D. claims to have solved the 110-year-old Lindelöf hypothesis”

  5. “I found this 3Blue1Brown video which explains exactly that”

    Explains the difference between the zeta function and Riemann zeta

    slavik81, 2021-01 · Recommendation · in “How I learned to love and fear the Riemann Hypothesis”

  6. “Compare it to how 3blue1brown handles this”

    Nuanced treatment of the -1/12 result

    jstx1, 2023-09 · Recommendation · in “A Duodecade of Numberphile”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: riemann hypothesis, analytic continuation, complex analysis, visualization, 3blue1brown

Also recommended by the same people