Riemann's auxiliary Function. Basic Results

Abstract

We give the definition, main properties and integral expressions of the auxiliary function of Riemann $\mathop{\mathcal R }(s)$. For example we prove $$\pi^{-s/2}\Gamma(s/2)\mathop{\mathcal R }(s)=-\frac{e^{-\pi i s/4}}{ s}\int_{-1}^{-1+i\infty} \tau^{s/2}\vartheta_3'(\tau)\,d\tau.$$ Many of these results are known, but they serve as a reference. We give the values of $\mathop{\mathcal R }(s)$ at integers except at odd natural numbers. We have $$\zeta(\tfrac12+it)=e^{-i\vartheta(t)}Z(t),\quad \mathop{\mathcal R }(\tfrac12+it)=\tfrac12e^{-i\vartheta(t)}(Z(t)+iY(t)),$$ with $\vartheta(t)$, $Z(t)$ and $Y(t)$ real functions.