1. Introduction
Artificial intelligence (AI) encounters persistent mathematical difficulties—optimization, generalization, interpretability, and phase transitions—that constrain deployment in high-stakes domains such as medicine, autonomous systems, and finance. Closely related questions arise in physics and engineering: nuclear fusion, turbulence, neural information processing, the design of materials and medicines, genetic problems, and rare but high-impact events (earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis). These issues share a common core: prediction under uncertainty, often in regimes dominated by low-probability, high-consequence outcomes [
27].
This work advances the perspective that the universal properties of the Riemann zeta function provide a coherent mathematical framework for these problems [
6,
8]. We concentrate on two themes—AI optimization and turbulence—while indicating how the same structure extends to broader applications. Reports over 2023–2025 suggest a sharp rise in electricity demand for AI (from roughly 0.1% to 2% of global use), together with substantial water consumption for cooling, underscoring the need for algorithms that are both accurate and energy efficient [
30]. Motivated by classical ideas on computational economy (e.g., Gauss’s summation argument), we explore zeta-based constructions that promise meaningful cost reductions. Our approach builds on Voronin’s universality theorem and constructive developments by Durmagambetov (e.g., explicit bounds on
in zero-free regions [
14,
15]), and is accompanied by practical algorithms, simulation proposals, and an expanded literature review [
18,
25].
2. Problem Statement
The computational burden of AI—together with the algorithmic demands of turbulence modeling for fusion—raises three interlocking difficulties: (i) navigation of nonconvex, high-dimensional loss landscapes; (ii) representation and control of multiscale dynamics; and (iii) closure limitations in kinetic descriptions such as the Boltzmann hierarchy [
23,
24].
We propose exploiting zeta-function universality to address these points:
We provide a concrete optimization algorithm, simulation strategies, and numerical comparisons (via
S matched to standard physical distributions, with quantitative fits), and we place the results within recent literature on AI and turbulence [
21].
3. Mathematical Methods
3.1. Disciplines and Core Challenges
The following mathematical disciplines are central to the problems addressed:
Probability Theory and Statistics: Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood; challenges: uncertainty quantification, model misspecification [
27].
Linear Algebra: High-dimensional data analysis, neural operations; challenges: curse of dimensionality.
Optimization Theory: Gradient-based loss minimization; challenges: nonconvexity, local minima [
26].
Differential Equations: Neural ODEs, dynamical systems; challenges: stiffness, multiscale dynamics.
Information Theory: Entropy and compression trade-offs; challenges: noise and distribution shift.
Computability Theory: Algorithmic limits; challenges: undecidability.
Stochastic Methods: Monte Carlo, SGD; challenges: variance, inefficiency.
Deep Learning: Complex structures; challenges: interpretability, overfitting [
19].
3.2. Constructive Universality and Zeta-Guided Modeling
Theorem 1 (Voronin’s universality)
. Let D be a compact subset of the strip with connected complement. For any nonvanishing analytic f on D and any , there exists such that
Building on universality and constructive methods [
6], we treat the zeta function as a generator of measures and as a coordinate for dynamics, shifting computation to the motion of a single parameter
s along the critical strip [
25].
3.3. Zeta-Derived Potential and Family of Measures
We define
where
. For fixed
, the map
generates curves that can be fitted to canonical distributions (Boltzmann/Maxwell, Planck, Kolmogorov), enabling a
self-consistent selection of measures for modeling [
28]. To quantify the match, we use least-squares fitting or KL-divergence minimization over scaling parameters. For instance, numerical fitting to the Kolmogorov spectrum yields optimal scaling
with sum of squared errors (SSE)
(see
Appendix B for details). Note that the mapping aligns
with
for spectral comparisons, ensuring dimensional consistency.
Remark 1. Interpreting as a partition-function surrogate connects (1) with generalized entropy constructions, where contributes an entropic part and acts as an energetic term [22].
3.4. Derivative of Along the Imaginary Direction
Throughout this section we let
Since
, differentiation of the zeta function along vertical lines gives
More importantly, the variation of the
logarithmic modulus of
is
Hence, on the critical line
,
which shows that sharp oscillations of
near its zeros correspond to peaks in the imaginary part of
.
Derivative of the zeta-derived potential S.
Recall that
Differentiating with respect to
t,
Using
, we obtain
Interpretation.
Formulas (
4)–(
5) show that the variation of
and of the potential
along the imaginary direction is controlled by the imaginary part of
. Near a zero
of
this quantity exhibits sharp peaks, which correspond to jumps in the argument of
and signal rapid transitions in
. These transitions are used in
Section 3.5 to parametrize critical events in optimization and turbulence.
3.5. Dynamics Reduced to the Critical Strip
Using Hilbert-transform projectors
(defined in
Appendix B,
Section B1), on suitable function classes,
where
A is a linear operator (e.g., Jacobian in neural ODEs), and
F represents nonlinear interactions (e.g., turbulent forcing terms [
23]). Thus, evolution is reparameterized by
s, with
zero crossings marking instability onsets/phase transitions (e.g., bifurcations in turbulence or critical points in optimization [
24]).
4. Results and Applications
4.1. Universality as a Unified Foundation for AI
We outline how the zero statistics (Montgomery–Odlyzko, Berry–Keating) provide structured priors, uncertainty models, and “temperature” control via
, informing optimization schedules and turbulence closure [
2,
8].
4.2. Figures (Safe Inclusion)
Figure 1.
Visual representation of the Riemann zeta function.
Figure 1.
Visual representation of the Riemann zeta function.
Figure 2.
Critical line and nontrivial zeros of .
Figure 2.
Critical line and nontrivial zeros of .
Figure 3.
Statistics of zero spacings compared to quantum spectra.
Figure 3.
Statistics of zero spacings compared to quantum spectra.
4.3. Family of Distributions from S
For completeness, we emphasize the generalized-entropy flavor of
S and its empirical alignment (e.g., with Kolmogorov
at specific
, after appropriate scaling of variables). Numerical fitting confirms close correspondence with
and SSE
[
29].
Figure 4.
Shapes of across , mirroring canonical distributions.
Figure 4.
Shapes of across , mirroring canonical distributions.
Figure 5.
Comparison of scaled with Kolmogorov . x-axis: or ; y-axis: S or . Variables fitted via least-squares (optimal , SSE ).
Figure 5.
Comparison of scaled with Kolmogorov . x-axis: or ; y-axis: S or . Variables fitted via least-squares (optimal , SSE ).
4.4. Optimization: Zero-Aware Algorithm
The algorithm selects zeta zeros (e.g., from Odlyzko’s tables) to modulate step sizes, mapping gradients to the critical line via a projection (e.g., nearest zero spacing). The zero-aware reparameterization adjusts the gradient step size based on proximity to zeta zeros, using their spacing as a natural scale for exploration [
26].
| Listing 1: Zeta-guided optimization (conceptual prototype). |
 |
4.5. Differential Equations and Turbulence Closure
The
s-reparameterization furnishes a closure that respects analyticity and conservation, with zero crossings indicating bifurcations;
plays the role of a temperature/perturbation knob [
23,
29].
Figure 6.
Spectral comparisons for different values.
Figure 6.
Spectral comparisons for different values.
Figure 7.
versus resonance-type models.
Figure 7.
versus resonance-type models.
Figure 8.
Argument of exhibiting jump-like features.
Figure 8.
Argument of exhibiting jump-like features.
5. Discussion
Information-theoretic perspective.
Treating
as a partition proxy yields
S as generalized entropy. Entropy production is localized near zero crossings, aligning with transition events [
22].
Computability and dimensionality reduction.
Constructive universality compresses datasets/states onto a single analytic coordinate
s on the critical strip, supplying a “holographic” reduction and lowering effective dimensionality of computation [
28].
Interpretability.
Zero geometry organizes layers/activations and attention phases, providing a physically motivated coordinate for saliency and regime tracking [
19].
Limitations.
Computing
for large
is resource-intensive; assumptions rely on unproven conjectures such as the Riemann Hypothesis [
8]. Future work should address scalability and rigorous error bounds, potentially integrating generative AI for zero prediction [
25].
6. Conclusion
The universality of the Riemann zeta function provides a unifying framework for mathematical challenges in AI, turbulence modeling, and related areas such as neural information processing and fusion control [
8,
20]. The zeta-derived potential
generates a family of self-consistent measures reproducing canonical physical distributions (
1). Coupled with the dynamical reduction
this yields a computational bridge between data, dynamics, and measures. Notably, the derivatives along the imaginary direction highlight how transitions in
—driven by peaks in
—serve as signals for critical events in optimization and turbulence. Furthermore, all known distributions (Boltzmann, Planck, Kolmogorov) are linked to activated turbulent processes, while our approach proposes a transition from established equilibrium regimes through singularities (zeta zeros) to alternative distributions. The program—zero-aware dynamics,
S-based measures, and zeta-guided optimization—points toward more predictive and energy-efficient AI and improved control of complex, multiscale systems [
26,
29].
To further illustrate the impact, we briefly address how our zeta-based framework, supported by formulas like
and its derivatives, along with figures such as the spectral comparisons (e.g.,
Figure 5), resolves key challenges in each core discipline:
Probability Theory and Statistics: The potential
and its fits to distributions (e.g., Boltzmann in
Figure 4) provide self-consistent measures for uncertainty quantification, with derivatives signaling model shifts to mitigate misspecification.
Linear Algebra: Dimensionality reduction via reparameterization to the critical strip (using
) alleviates the curse of dimensionality, as visualized in zero statistics (
Figure 3).
Optimization Theory: Zero-aware algorithms, modulated by zeta zeros, facilitate escape from local minima in nonconvex landscapes, with derivatives of S marking critical transitions.
Differential Equations: The dynamical reduction handles stiffness and multiscale dynamics through analytic continuation and zero crossings.
Information Theory: Generalized entropy from
(Equation (
5)) balances compression and noise, with figures showing distribution shifts.
Computability Theory: Universality bounds (Theorem 1) and constructive estimates in
Appendix B address algorithmic limits by shifting computation to zeta coordinates.
Stochastic Methods: Variance reduction via zeta-guided steps in SGD/Monte Carlo, informed by spectral alignments (e.g., Kolmogorov in
Figure 5).
Deep Learning: Interpretability via zero geometry (
Figure 2) and overfitting mitigation through self-consistent measures from
S.
7. Numerical Validation: Proposed Experiments
To validate the approach, we propose the following experiments with quantitative metrics (e.g., convergence rate, KL-divergence for distributions):
Preliminary numerical results for S fitting to Kolmogorov spectrum show SSE and KL-divergence (after normalization to probability mass functions), confirming quantitative alignment. To expand, we provide fits for multiple distributions and values:
Table 1.
Fitting results for to canonical distributions (200 points, ).
Table 1.
Fitting results for to canonical distributions (200 points, ).
|
Distribution |
Parameters |
SSE |
MSE |
| 19.75 |
Kolmogorov () |
|
0.0069 |
0.0000 |
| |
Boltzmann () |
,
|
0.0000 |
0.0000 |
| |
Planck () |
,
|
0.0003 |
0.0000 |
| 21.022 |
Kolmogorov |
|
16.0148 |
0.0801 |
| |
Boltzmann |
,
|
2.6920 |
0.0135 |
| |
Planck |
,
|
3.8392 |
0.0192 |
| 30.343 |
Kolmogorov |
|
3.0013 |
0.0150 |
| |
Boltzmann |
,
|
0.1038 |
0.0005 |
| |
Planck |
,
|
0.4272 |
0.0021 |
These results demonstrate that for certain , S closely matches specific distributions (e.g., Boltzmann at with near-zero SSE).
Appendix A. Python Snippets
| Listing 2: Computation of S and fitted plots. |

|
Appendix B. Constructive Universality of the Riemann Zeta Function
This appendix provides a self-contained exposition of the constructive universality method based on the Riemann–Hilbert approach, Hilbert transform operators, and explicit estimates for the logarithm of the Riemann zeta function between its zeros. No external references are required; all definitions and proofs are included [
15].
Appendix B.1. Functional Setting and Hilbert Transform
Let
be the space of square-integrable functions on
. Define the Sobolev space:
where
is the Fourier transform of
f.
Definition A1 (Hilbert Transform and Projectors)
. For define:
The operators are boundary values of the Cauchy integral in the upper/lower half-plane. They satisfy the Plemelj–Sokhotski formulas and have the algebraic properties given below.
Lemma A1 (Projector Identities)
. For :
Proof. These are classical consequences of the Plemelj formulas for the boundary values of the Cauchy integral and the orthogonality of projections onto functions analytic in the upper and lower half-planes. One expands and uses symmetry with respect to the real axis to obtain the relations. □
Appendix B.2. Lemma on the Index of the Function R(k)
Lemma A2.
The function has index along the real axis, i.e.,
Proof. By definition, the index is the total change of argument of as k runs along the real axis. Let k be complex. For , we have and , hence the quotient has no singularities in the upper half-plane. By the residue theorem, the integral of along a contour in the upper half-plane, closed by a large semicircle, is zero. Jordan’s lemma ensures the integral over the semicircle vanishes since decays there. Therefore, the integral along the real axis is zero, so . □
Appendix B.3. Scalar Riemann–Hilbert Problem
Let
and
be functions analytic in the upper and lower half-planes, respectively, with boundary values on the real axis satisfying
and
Define the functions
Then
on the real axis.
Lemma A3 (Solution of the Scalar Riemann–Hilbert Problem)
. Under the above assumptions,
Proof. Multiply the jump condition by
:
By the definition of
, the function
is analytic in the upper half-plane, and
in the lower half-plane. Their difference on the real axis is
. Applying the Plemelj formulas to reconstruct each analytic part gives the stated integral representations. □
Appendix B.4. Application to the Riemann Zeta Function
We now apply the Riemann–Hilbert construction to
in the strip
where
are consecutive nontrivial zeros of
and
is fixed.
Let
Introduce a truncation using the Heaviside function:
Define the function
which effectively removes the critical line region
where zeros cluster.
To analyze
on the line
, multiply by
and integrate
from 0 to 1:
where
is a regular function introduced to cancel the Euler product singularities at
.
We obtain a Riemann–Hilbert jump condition of the form
with
and
constructed from
,
, and
as in the derivation.
By Lemmas A2 and A3,
, so we can represent solutions as
For large
, the functions
,
. Thus, evaluating at
:
where
. Summing over
n gives convergence and the inequality
Appendix B.5. Main Constructive Theorem
Theorem A1 (Constructive bound in zero-free strip)
. Let with t between two consecutive zeros of :
Then for any :
where is a constant depending only on t, bounded by the growth of as per [9].
Proof. Using the representation of
above and the fact
:
where
Since
, we have:
Also,
uniformly for
.
But
are the Fourier coefficients of
, so by inversion,
This completes the proof. □
Appendix B.6. Final Statement
For all
such that
we have the explicit constructive estimate:
This means the logarithm of grows at most like as we move away from the critical line into the zero-free region.
Appendix B.7. Conclusion
We have shown how the Riemann–Hilbert problem, combined with the Hilbert transform and explicit transforms of
, yields constructive bounds between consecutive zeros. This method is fully explicit, relies only on integral transformations, and provides a self-contained basis for the analysis of zeta-function behavior in critical strips [
15].
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