Smoothed Biorthogonal Tail Extensions and Multi-Zero Step-Space Superposition in the Shifted Nyman-Beurling Criterion: Two-Sided Divisor-Sum Operator Bounds, Cutoff Jump Elimination, and Interval-Certified Collective Zero Exclusion
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Abstract
In Beurling's shifted Nyman criterion on $L^2((0, 1], d\mu_\sigma)$ ($d\mu_\sigma(x) = 2\sigma x^{2\sigma-1}\,dx$, $\sigma \in [1/2, 1)$), $\zeta(s)$ is zero-free in $\operatorname{Re}(s) > \sigma$ iff $E = \mathbf{1}_{(0,1]}$ lies in the closed span of $\tilde{\rho}_{1/k}(x) = -\{\lfloor 1/x \rfloor / k\}$ ($k \ge 2$) on $I_m = (1/(m+1), 1/m]$. Building on the Vasyunin-Balazard backward-difference basis $\{\mathcal{C}_n\}_{n\ge 1}$ and the step-space annihilator duality of riemann_hypothesis_9, we prove four results. First, for the head-correction Gram operator $H_N^{(\sigma)}$ of $\mathcal{H}_N = \sum_{k=2}^N \gamma_k \mathcal{C}_k$ relative to $N\operatorname{diag}(k^{2\sigma})$, localized alternating vectors prove $\liminf_{N\to\infty}\lambda_{\max}^{(N)}(\sigma) \ge 2/\sigma$, while the exact finite-$N$ Cauchy-Schwarz column weight $\widetilde{\Psi}_{\sigma, N}(k) = \sum_{j\mid k}\mu(j)^2 j^{-2\sigma}\vartheta_{k/j}^{(\sigma)} Q(\lfloor Nj/k\rfloor)/(Nj/k)$ yields $\lambda_{\max}^{(N)}(\sigma) \le (2/\sigma)\max_{k\le N}\widetilde{\Psi}_{\sigma, N}(k) \le \frac{2}{1-2^{-2\sigma}}\prod_{i=1}^{r(N)}(1+p_i^{-2\sigma}) < \frac{2}{1-2^{-2\sigma}}\zeta(2\sigma)/\zeta(4\sigma)$, finite for each $N$ at $\sigma = 1/2$. Second, we show that sharp truncation at $k=N$ creates an $m=N$ jump of norm squared $|\gamma_N|^2/w_N^{(\sigma)} \asymp N^{2\sigma+1}|\gamma_N|^2$, and eliminate it via smoothed tail-extended corrections $\mathcal{H}_{N_\delta}^{\mathrm{smooth}} = \sum_{n=2}^{N_\delta} \gamma_n^{(M; W_{r+1,\theta})}(\rho_0) W_{2, 1/(1+\delta)}(n/(N_\delta+1))\mathcal{C}_n$ ($N_\delta = \lfloor(1+\delta)N\rfloor$), proving $\|\mathcal{H}_{N_\delta}^{\mathrm{smooth}}\|_{S_\sigma^*}^2 \ll_\sigma \zeta(3-2\sigma)N^{2r+2}/(M+1)^{2\beta_0+2r}$ (saving $N^{2\sigma}$) and $|\eta_1^{\mathrm{smooth}}| \ll N^{r+2}/(M+1)^{\beta_0+r+1}$, reducing the unconditional support exponent to $a(\sigma, \beta_0, r) = \max(\frac{r+1}{\sigma+r}, \frac{r+2}{\beta_0+r+1}) = 1 + \frac{1}{2r+3}$ at $\beta_0 = 1/2$. Third, we prove asymptotic factorization of $2J$-dimensional smoothed multi-zero annihilator superpositions via the continuum Mellin-Sobolev kernel $\mathcal{K}_W^{(\sigma)}(\rho_j, \rho_\ell)$, certifying $3.55\times$ gains at $N=40$ in 60-digit mpmath.iv arithmetic. Fourth, extending Burnol's Blaschke formula and riemann_hypothesis_1, we certify collective multi-pair step-space exclusions at $N=40, 160$ in 60-digit interval arithmetic.
Smoothed Biorthogonal Tail Extensions and Multi-Zero Step-Space Superposition in the Shifted Nyman-Beurling Criterion: Two-Sided Divisor-Sum Operator Bounds, Cutoff Jump Elimination, and Interval-Certified Collective Zero Exclusion
Abstract
In Beurling's shifted Nyman criterion on $L^2((0, 1], d\mu_\sigma)$ ($d\mu_\sigma(x) = 2\sigma x^{2\sigma-1}\,dx$, $\sigma \in [1/2, 1)$), $\zeta(s)$ is zero-free in $\operatorname{Re}(s) > \sigma$ if and only if $E = \mathbf{1}_{(0,1]}$ lies in the closed span of the pole-canceled dilates $\tilde{\rho}_{1/k}(x) = -\{\lfloor 1/x \rfloor / k\}$ ($k \ge 2$) on $I_m = (1/(m+1), 1/m]$. Building on the Vasyunin-Balazard backward-difference basis $\{\mathcal{C}_n\}_{n\ge 1}$ and the step-space annihilator duality of riemann_hypothesis_9, we prove four results. First, for the head-correction Gram operator $H_N^{(\sigma)}$ of $\mathcal{H}_N = \sum_{k=2}^N \gamma_k \mathcal{C}_k$ relative to $N\operatorname{diag}(k^{2\sigma})$, localized alternating vectors prove $\liminf_{N\to\infty}\lambda_{\max}^{(N)}(\sigma) \ge 2/\sigma$, while the exact finite-$N$ Cauchy-Schwarz column weight $\widetilde{\Psi}_{\sigma, N}(k) = \sum_{j\mid k}\mu(j)^2 j^{-2\sigma}\vartheta_{k/j}^{(\sigma)} Q(\lfloor Nj/k\rfloor)/(Nj/k)$ yields $\lambda_{\max}^{(N)}(\sigma) \le (2/\sigma)\max_{k\le N}\widetilde{\Psi}_{\sigma, N}(k) \le \frac{2}{1-2^{-2\sigma}}\prod_{i=1}^{r(N)}(1+p_i^{-2\sigma}) < \frac{2}{1-2^{-2\sigma}}\zeta(2\sigma)/\zeta(4\sigma)$, remaining finite for each $N$ at $\sigma = 1/2$. Second, we show that sharp truncation at $k=N$ creates an $m=N$ jump of norm squared $|\gamma_N|^2/w_N^{(\sigma)} \asymp N^{2\sigma+1}|\gamma_N|^2$, and eliminate it via smoothed tail-extended corrections $\mathcal{H}_{N_\delta}^{\mathrm{smooth}} = \sum_{n=2}^{N_\delta} \gamma_n^{(M; W_{r+1,\theta})}(\rho_0) W_{2, 1/(1+\delta)}(n/(N_\delta+1))\mathcal{C}_n$ ($N_\delta = \lfloor(1+\delta)N\rfloor$), proving $\|\mathcal{H}_{N_\delta}^{\mathrm{smooth}}\|_{S_\sigma^*}^2 \ll_\sigma \zeta(3-2\sigma)N^{2r+2}/(M+1)^{2\beta_0+2r}$ (saving $N^{2\sigma}$) and $|\eta_1^{\mathrm{smooth}}| \ll N^{r+2}/(M+1)^{\beta_0+r+1}$, which reduces the unconditional support exponent to $a(\sigma, \beta_0, r) = \max\!\big(\frac{r+1}{\sigma+r},\, \frac{r+2}{\beta_0+r+1}\big) = 1 + \frac{1}{2r+3}$ at $\beta_0 = 1/2$ (halving the exponent excess over riemann_hypothesis_9). Third, we prove asymptotic factorization of $2J$-dimensional smoothed multi-zero annihilator superpositions via the continuum Mellin-Sobolev kernel $\mathcal{K}_W^{(\sigma)}(\rho_j, \rho_\ell)$, certifying $3.55\times$ gains at $N=40$ in 60-digit mpmath.iv arithmetic. Fourth, extending Burnol's Blaschke formula and riemann_hypothesis_1, we certify collective multi-pair step-space exclusions at $N=40, 160$ in 60-digit interval arithmetic.
1. Introduction, Single Consistent Backward-Difference Convention, and Structural Synthesis
1.1 The Shifted Nyman-Beurling Criterion and Step-Space Annihilator Duality
Let $\sigma \in [1/2, 1)$, and let $\mathcal{H}_\sigma := L^2((0, 1], d\mu_\sigma)$ denote the probability-normalized Hilbert space with measure $d\mu_\sigma(x) := 2\sigma x^{2\sigma-1}\,dx$, inner product $\langle f, g \rangle_\sigma := 2\sigma \int_0^1 f(x)\overline{g(x)}\,x^{2\sigma-1}\,dx$ (linear in the first argument, conjugate-linear in the second), and norm $\|f\|_\sigma = \langle f, f \rangle_\sigma^{1/2}$, so that the constant indicator $E(x) := \mathbf{1}_{(0, 1]}(x)$ has $\|E\|_\sigma^2 = 1$ (in the unnormalized convention $\|f\|_{\mathrm{unnorm}, \sigma}^2 = \int_0^1 |f(x)|^2 x^{2\sigma-1}\,dx = (2\sigma)^{-1}\|f\|_\sigma^2$). Following Nyman [1], Beurling [2], and Báez-Duarte [3], define the pole-canceled fractional-part dilates $$\tilde{\rho}_{1/k}(x) := \frac{1}{k}\left\{\frac{1}{x}\right\} - \left\{\frac{1}{kx}\right\} = -\left\{\frac{\lfloor 1/x \rfloor}{k}\right\} \qquad (k \in \mathbb{N}_{\ge 2},\; x \in (0, 1]). \tag{1}$$ For $\operatorname{Re}(s) > 0$, the Mellin transform of $\tilde{\rho}_{1/k}$ is $\int_0^1 \tilde{\rho}_{1/k}(x)x^{s-1}\,dx = -\frac{\zeta(s)}{s}\big(k^{-1} - k^{-s}\big)$, in which the simple pole of $\zeta(s)$ at $s = 1$ cancels identically for every $k \ge 2$. Both $E$ and $\tilde{\rho}_{1/k}$ ($k \ge 2$) are constant on each harmonic step interval $I_m := (1/(m+1), 1/m]$ ($m \ge 1$) with interval measures $$w_m^{(\sigma)} := \mu_\sigma(I_m) = 2\sigma \int_{1/(m+1)}^{1/m} x^{2\sigma-1}\,dx = m^{-2\sigma} - (m+1)^{-2\sigma} = \frac{2\sigma}{m^{2\sigma+1}}\left(1 + O\left(\frac{1}{m}\right)\right). \tag{2}$$ Consequently, $\operatorname{span}\{\tilde{\rho}_{1/k} : k \ge 2\}$ lies inside the harmonic step subspace $S_\sigma := \overline{\operatorname{span}}\{\mathbf{1}_{I_m} : m \ge 1\} \subsetneq \mathcal{H}_\sigma$. Writing $f_m := f|_{I_m}$ for the constant value of $f \in S_\sigma$ on $I_m$ (so $E_m = 1$ and $(\tilde{\rho}_{1/k})_m = -\{m/k\}$ for all $m \ge 1$), the norm on $S_\sigma \simeq \ell^2(\mathbb{N}, w^{(\sigma)})$ and the Riesz dual norm on $S_\sigma^*$ are given by $$\|f\|_\sigma^2 = \sum_{m=1}^\infty |f_m|^2 w_m^{(\sigma)}, \qquad \|\mathcal{L}\|_{S_\sigma^*}^2 = \sum_{m=1}^\infty \frac{|c_m(\mathcal{L})|^2}{w_m^{(\sigma)}}, \qquad \mathcal{L}(f) = \sum_{m=1}^\infty c_m(\mathcal{L})\,f_m, \tag{3}$$ and the dual inner product is $\langle \mathcal{L}_1, \mathcal{L}_2 \rangle_{S_\sigma^*} := \sum_{m=1}^\infty \frac{c_m(\mathcal{L}_1)\overline{c_m(\mathcal{L}_2)}}{w_m^{(\sigma)}}$.
At truncation dimension $N \ge 2$, the shifted Nyman-Beurling-Báez-Duarte squared approximation distance in $\mathcal{H}_\sigma$ is
$$d_N(\sigma)^2 := \inf_{b_2, \dots, b_N \in \mathbb{C}} \left\| E - \sum_{k=2}^N b_k \tilde{\rho}_{1/k} \right\|_\sigma^2 = 1 - b_{\mathrm{BD}}(\sigma)^T A_N(\sigma)^{-1} b_{\mathrm{BD}}(\sigma), \tag{4}$$
where $(A_N(\sigma))_{j,k} = \langle \tilde{\rho}_{1/j}, \tilde{\rho}_{1/k} \rangle_\sigma$ and $(b_{\mathrm{BD}}(\sigma))_k = \langle E, \tilde{\rho}_{1/k} \rangle_\sigma$ ($2 \le j, k \le N$). By the Hahn-Banach theorem in $S_\sigma$, $d_N(\sigma)^2$ satisfies the exact step-space annihilator duality identity (established in riemann_hypothesis_7 [15] and riemann_hypothesis_9 [17]):
$$d_N(\sigma)^2 = \sup\left\{ \frac{|\mathcal{L}(E)|^2}{\|\mathcal{L}\|_{S_\sigma^*}^2} : \mathcal{L} \in \operatorname{Ann}_{S_\sigma^*}(\tilde{\rho}_{1/2}, \dots, \tilde{\rho}_{1/N}) \setminus \{0\} \right\}, \tag{5}$$
where $\operatorname{Ann}_{S_\sigma^*}(\tilde{\rho}_{1/2}, \dots, \tilde{\rho}_{1/N}) := \{\mathcal{L} \in S_\sigma^* : \mathcal{L}(\tilde{\rho}_{1/k}) = 0 \text{ for all } 2 \le k \le N\}$.
Following Vasyunin [6], Balazard and de Roton [7], and Balazard [18] (see also Bettin, Conrey, and Farmer [8], Ehm [19], Alouges, Darses, and Hillion [20], and our earlier papers [15, 17]), we use throughout this paper the backward-difference convention $\mathcal{D}_m(f) := f_m - f_{m-1}$ for $m \ge 1$, with the boundary convention $f_0 := 0$. Since $(\tilde{\rho}_{1/k})_m = -\{m/k\} = \lfloor m/k \rfloor - m/k$ and $(\tilde{\rho}_{1/k})_0 = 0$, we have $\lfloor m/k \rfloor - \lfloor (m-1)/k \rfloor = \mathbf{1}_{k \mid m}$, so $$\mathcal{D}_m(\tilde{\rho}_{1/k}) = \mathbf{1}_{k \mid m} - \frac{1}{k} \quad (m \ge 1,\; k \ge 2), \qquad \mathcal{D}_m(E) = \delta_{m,1} \quad (m \ge 1). \tag{6}$$ The Vasyunin-Balazard functionals $\mathcal{C}_n \in S_\sigma^*$ ($n \ge 1$) are defined by Möbius inversion of $\{\mathcal{D}_d\}_{d \mid n}$: $$\mathcal{C}_n(f) := \sum_{d \mid n} \mu\!\left(\frac{n}{d}\right) \mathcal{D}_d(f) = \sum_{d \mid n} \mu\!\left(\frac{n}{d}\right) (f_d - f_{d-1}) = \sum_{m=1}^n c_{n,m}\,f_m, \qquad c_{n,m} := \mu\!\left(\frac{n}{m}\right)\mathbf{1}_{m \mid n} - \mu\!\left(\frac{n}{m+1}\right)\mathbf{1}_{(m+1) \mid n}. \tag{7}$$ Applying Möbius inversion $\sum_{d \mid n} \mu(n/d)\mathbf{1}_{k \mid d} = \delta_{n,k}$ ($n, k \ge 2$) and $\sum_{d \mid n} \mu(d) = \delta_{n,1}$ to (6) yields the exact algebraic biorthogonality and target evaluation identities ([15, Theorem 2], [17, Section 2.1]): $$\mathcal{C}_1(\tilde{\rho}_{1/k}) = -\frac{1}{k} \quad (k \ge 2), \qquad \mathcal{C}_n(\tilde{\rho}_{1/k}) = \delta_{n,k} \quad (n, k \ge 2), \qquad \mathcal{C}_n(E) = \mu(n) \quad (n \ge 1). \tag{8}$$ More generally, any finitely supported step functional $\mathcal{L}(f) = \sum_{d=1}^M \beta_d \mathcal{D}_d(f) = \sum_{m=1}^M (\beta_m - \beta_{m+1}) f_m$ ($\beta_{M+1} := 0$) has step coefficients $c_m(\mathcal{L}) = \beta_m - \beta_{m+1}$, target evaluation $\mathcal{L}(E) = \sum_{d=1}^M \beta_d \delta_{d,1} = \beta_1$, Vasyunin-Balazard coordinates $\alpha_n := \sum_{j=1}^{\lfloor M/n \rfloor} \beta_{nj}$ ($\mathcal{L} = \sum_{n=1}^M \alpha_n \mathcal{C}_n$, $\beta_d = \sum_{j=1}^{\lfloor M/d \rfloor} \alpha_{dj}\mu(j)$), and dilate evaluations $$\gamma_k := \mathcal{L}(\tilde{\rho}_{1/k}) = \alpha_k - \frac{1}{k}\alpha_1 \qquad (k \ge 2). \tag{9}$$
1.2 Relation to Prior Literature and Summary of Main Results
In riemann_hypothesis_9 [17], we proved the power-saving asymptotic norm law $\|\mathcal{F}_N\|_{S_\sigma^*}^2 = \frac{\zeta(2\sigma+1)}{2\sigma\,\zeta(4\sigma+2)}N^{2\sigma-1} + O_\sigma(N^{\sigma-1/2})$ for the harmonic head functional $\mathcal{F}_N := \sum_{k=1}^N k^{-1}\mathcal{C}_k$ (whose step-level form $\sum_{k=1}^N f_k/k$ at $\sigma = 1/2$ was studied by Balazard [18], Propositions 5-6), introduced the flat-top Hermite spline zero annihilators $\widetilde{\mathcal{L}}_{\rho_0, N}^{(M; W_{r,\theta})}$ to constructively realize the existential rate exponent $d_N(\sigma)^2 = N^{-2(\sigma-\Theta)^+ + o(1)}$ of riemann_hypothesis_6 [14] (v3), and introduced the hybrid step-head + continuous-tail kernels $k_{\rho, M}^{(\sigma)}$ extending the step-space codimension framework of riemann_hypothesis_1 [12] (v2) and Burnol's continuous Blaschke projection formula [21, Lemma 2.4].
In the present paper, we resolve three structural questions raised after riemann_hypothesis_9 [17]:
-
Two-Sided Divisor-Sum Operator Norm Bounds (Section 2, Theorem 1): In Lemma 1 of
riemann_hypothesis_9[17], we bounded the dual norm squared of any head correction $\mathcal{H}_N = \sum_{k=2}^N \gamma_k \mathcal{C}_k$ by $\frac{3^{2\sigma+1}}{\sigma}\zeta(2\sigma) N \sum_{k=2}^N k^{2\sigma}|\gamma_k|^2$, which diverges as $(2\sigma - 1)^{-1}$ as $\sigma \downarrow 1/2$. Let $H_N^{(\sigma)}$ be the $(N-1) \times (N-1)$ Gram matrix of $\{\mathcal{C}_2, \dots, \mathcal{C}_N\}$ in $S_\sigma^*$, and let $\lambda_{\max}^{(N)}(\sigma) := \sup_{\gamma \ne 0} \frac{\|\sum_{k=2}^N \gamma_k \mathcal{C}_k\|_{S_\sigma^*}^2}{N \sum_{k=2}^N k^{2\sigma}|\gamma_k|^2}$.- Asymptotic Lower Bound: On $m \in (N/2, N]$, $\lfloor N/m \rfloor = 1$, so $\eta_m = \sum_{j=1}^{\lfloor N/m \rfloor} \gamma_{mj}\mu(j) = \gamma_m \mu(1) = \gamma_m$ consists exclusively of the $j = 1$ divisor term (showing in particular that the asymptotic density $6/\pi^2$ of squarefree integers cannot multiply the $j = 1$ term). Testing localized alternating vectors $\gamma_k = (-1)^k k^{-\sigma}\mathbf{1}_{(1-\delta)N < k \le N}$ proves $\liminf_{N\to\infty}\lambda_{\max}^{(N)}(\sigma) \ge \frac{2}{\sigma}$ for all $\sigma \in [1/2, 1)$.
- Exact Finite-$N$ Cauchy-Schwarz Column Weight and Primorial/Euler Upper Bounds: Retaining the exact squarefree counting function $Q(L) := \sum_{\ell=1}^L \mu(\ell)^2$ ($L = \lfloor N/m \rfloor = \lfloor Nj/k \rfloor$) and the exact step-weight ratio $\vartheta_m^{(\sigma)} := \frac{\sigma}{2m^{2\sigma+1}}\big(\frac{2}{w_m^{(\sigma)}} + \frac{2\mathbf{1}_{m\ge 2}}{w_{m-1}^{(\sigma)}}\big)$ (which equals $1$ identically for all $m \ge 1$ at $\sigma = 1/2$ and satisfies $1 < \vartheta_m^{(\sigma)} \le \vartheta_1^{(\sigma)} = \frac{\sigma}{1 - 2^{-2\sigma}}$ for $\sigma \in (1/2, 1)$) proves the exact finite-$N$ hierarchy $$\lambda_{\max}^{(N)}(\sigma) \le C_{\mathrm{col}}^{(N)}(\sigma) := \frac{2}{\sigma}\max_{2 \le k \le N}\widetilde{\Psi}_{\sigma, N}(k) \le C_{\mathrm{prim}}^{(N)}(\sigma) := \frac{2}{1 - 2^{-2\sigma}}\prod_{i=1}^{r(N)}\left(1 + p_i^{-2\sigma}\right) < C_{\mathrm{Euler}}(\sigma) := \frac{2}{1 - 2^{-2\sigma}}\frac{\zeta(2\sigma)}{\zeta(4\sigma)}, \tag{10}$$ where $\widetilde{\Psi}_{\sigma, N}(k) := \sum_{j \mid k}\mu(j)^2 j^{-2\sigma}\vartheta_{k/j}^{(\sigma)}\frac{Q(\lfloor Nj/k\rfloor)}{Nj/k}$ and $P_{r(N)} = p_1\cdots p_{r(N)} \le N < P_{r(N)+1}$. Both $C_{\mathrm{col}}^{(N)}(\sigma)$ and $C_{\mathrm{prim}}^{(N)}(\sigma)$ are finite for each fixed $N$ right down to $\sigma = 1/2$ (while growing slowly with $N$ as $\prod_{i=1}^{r(N)}(1+p_i^{-1}) \ll \log\log N$ at $\sigma = 1/2$, and remaining uniformly bounded in $N$ by $C_{\mathrm{Euler}}(\sigma)$ for every $\sigma > 1/2$).
-
Sharp-Cutoff Boundary Obstruction vs. Smoothed Tail-Extended Biorthogonal Corrections (Section 3, Theorem 2):
- The $m = N$ Cutoff Jump Obstruction: When the head correction $\mathcal{H}_N = \sum_{k=2}^N \gamma_k \mathcal{C}_k$ is truncated sharply at $k = N$, the single interval $m = N$ has $\eta_N = \gamma_N$ and $\eta_{N+1} = 0$, contributing $\frac{|\gamma_N|^2}{w_N^{(\sigma)}} \ge \frac{N^{2\sigma+1}}{2\sigma}|\gamma_N|^2$, which grows as $N^1$ relative to $\|\mathcal{L}_{\rho_0}^{(M; W)}\|_{S_\sigma^*}^2$ at fixed linear support ratio $M = \lfloor \Lambda N \rfloor$.
- Smoothed Tail Extension, Uniform $X_n$-Derivative Proof, and Combined Support Scaling: Because $\mathcal{C}_n(\tilde{\rho}_{1/k}) = \delta_{n,k} = 0$ for all $n > N \ge k \ge 2$, extending the correction smoothly to $N_\delta := \lfloor(1+\delta)N\rfloor$ ($\delta \in (0, 1]$) via
$$\mathcal{H}_{N_\delta}^{\mathrm{smooth}} := \sum_{n=2}^{N_\delta} \tilde{\gamma}_n\,\mathcal{C}_n, \qquad \tilde{\gamma}_n := \gamma_n^{(M; W_{r+1,\theta})}(\rho_0)\,\Omega_\delta\!\left(\frac{n}{N_\delta + 1}\right), \qquad \Omega_\delta := W_{2, \frac{1}{1+\delta}}, \tag{11}$$
preserves exact annihilation of $\tilde{\rho}_{1/2}, \dots, \tilde{\rho}_{1/N}$ while eliminating all cutoff jumps ($\tilde{\gamma}_{(m+1)j} = 0$ for $j > \lfloor N_\delta/(m+1)\rfloor$). Using the exact Euler-Maclaurin subtraction identity in $X_n := \frac{M+1}{n}$ from
riemann_hypothesis_9[17]—where subtracting $t^{-\rho_0}$ on $[1, \infty)$ from $g_X(t) = t^{-\rho_0}W_{r+1,\theta}(t/X)$ leaves $h_X(t) := t^{-\rho_0}(W_{r+1,\theta}(t/X) - 1) \in C^r([1, \infty))$ vanishing identically on $[1, \theta X]$ with no dependence on $\lfloor \theta X \rfloor$—and integrating by parts once on $y = t/X \in [\theta, 1]$, we prove uniformly for all $2 \le n \le \frac{\theta}{2}(M+1)$ that $|\gamma_n| \ll \frac{n^{r+1}}{(M+1)^{\beta_0+r+1}}$ and $|\gamma_n - \gamma_{n+1}| \ll \frac{n^{r-1}}{(M+1)^{\beta_0+r}}$. This yields $|\eta_1^{\mathrm{smooth}}| \le \sum_{n=2}^{N_\delta}|\tilde{\gamma}_n| \ll \frac{N^{r+2}}{(M+1)^{\beta_0+r+1}}$, $|\eta_m^{\mathrm{smooth}} - \eta_{m+1}^{\mathrm{smooth}}| \ll \frac{N_\delta^{r+1}}{m^2(M+1)^{\beta_0+r}}$, and the $N^{2\sigma}$-saving norm bound $$\left\|\mathcal{H}_{N_\delta}^{\mathrm{smooth}}\right\|_{S_\sigma^*}^2 \ll_{\sigma,\rho_0,r,\theta,\delta} \frac{N^{2r+2}}{(M+1)^{2\beta_0+2r}}\sum_{m=1}^{N_\delta} m^{2\sigma-3} \le \zeta(3 - 2\sigma)\,\frac{N^{2r+2}}{(M+1)^{2\beta_0+2r}}. \tag{12}$$ Combining the relative norm condition $\|\mathcal{H}_{N_\delta}^{\mathrm{smooth}}\|_{S_\sigma^*} / \|\mathcal{L}_{\rho_0}^{(M; W_{r+1,\theta})}\|_{S_\sigma^*} \ll \frac{N^{r+1}}{(M+1)^{\sigma+r}}$ and the absolute target-perturbation condition $|\eta_1^{\mathrm{smooth}}| \ll \frac{N^{r+2}}{(M+1)^{\beta_0+r+1}}$ yields the unconditional constructive support exponent $a(\sigma, \beta_0, r) := \max\!\big(\frac{r+1}{\sigma+r},\, \frac{r+2}{\beta_0+r+1}\big)$ (which equals $\frac{r+2}{r+3/2} = 1 + \frac{1}{2r+3}$ at $\beta_0 = 1/2$, halving the exponent excess $1 + \frac{1}{r+1/2}$ ofriemann_hypothesis_9[17], e.g., $8/7 \approx 1.1429$ vs. $7/5 = 1.40$ at $r = 2$).
-
Multi-Zero Step-Space Annihilator Superposition (Section 4, Theorem 3): For $d = 2J$ distinct zeros $\rho_1, \dots, \rho_d$ in $\operatorname{Re}(s) \in [1/2, \sigma)$, we prove that the projected Gram matrix $\widetilde{G}_{\mu,\nu}^{(N, M)} = \langle \widetilde{\mathcal{L}}_{\mu, N}^{(M)}, \widetilde{\mathcal{L}}_{\nu, N}^{(M)} \rangle_{S_\sigma^*}$ satisfies $\widetilde{G}_{\mu,\nu}^{(N, M)} = 2\sigma (M+1)^{2\sigma-\rho_\mu-\overline{\rho_\nu}}\mathcal{K}_W^{(\sigma)}(\rho_\mu, \rho_\nu) + O\big(1 + \frac{N^{r+1}}{(M+1)^{\beta_\mu+\beta_\nu-\sigma+r}}\big)$, where $\mathcal{K}_W^{(\sigma)}(\rho, \rho')$ is the continuum Mellin-Sobolev kernel, and we certify $3.55\times$ multi-zero gains at $N = 40, M = 320$ ($N_\delta = 45, W_3$) in 60-digit
mpmath.ivarithmetic. -
Multi-Pair Hybrid Step-Space Reproducing Kernels (Section 5, Theorem 4): Specializing Burnol's continuous Blaschke distance formula [21, Lemma 2.4] to $J$ conjugate zero pairs $Z_J = \{\rho_1, \bar{\rho}_1, \dots, \rho_J, \bar{\rho}_J\}$ at $M = 0$ and extending the finite-set step-space Gram-inverse bounds of
riemann_hypothesis_1[12] (Theorem C and Corollary D) andriemann_hypothesis_9[17] (Theorem 4) to $2J \times 2J$ hybrid kernels $K_{Z_J, M}^{(\sigma)}$, we prove strict Loewner monotonicity $K_{Z_J, M+1}^{(\sigma)} \prec K_{Z_J, M}^{(\sigma)} \prec K_{Z_J, 0}^{(\sigma)}$ and certify in 60-digitmpmath.ivarithmetic ($M = 500$) that collective $J \in \{2, 3\}$ step-space bounds exclude test configurations at $N = 40$ where $J = 1$ and continuous $H^2$ Blaschke bounds fail.
2. Two-Sided Divisor-Sum Operator Norm Theory for the Biorthogonal Head Basis
For any coefficient vector $\gamma = (\gamma_2, \dots, \gamma_N)^T \in \mathbb{C}^{N-1}$ (setting $\gamma_1 := 0$), consider the biorthogonal head combination $\mathcal{H}_N := \sum_{k=2}^N \gamma_k \mathcal{C}_k \in S_\sigma^*$. By (7), $\mathcal{H}_N(f) = \sum_{d=1}^N \eta_d \mathcal{D}_d(f) = \sum_{m=1}^N (\eta_m - \eta_{m+1}) f_m$, where $$\eta_m := \sum_{\substack{j=1 \\ mj \ge 2}}^{\lfloor N/m \rfloor} \gamma_{mj}\,\mu(j) \quad (1 \le m \le N), \qquad \eta_{N+1} := 0. \tag{13}$$ Thus the $(N-1) \times (N-1)$ Gram matrix $H_N^{(\sigma)}$ of $\{\mathcal{C}_2, \dots, \mathcal{C}_N\}$ in $S_\sigma^*$ satisfies $$\left\|\sum_{k=2}^N \gamma_k \mathcal{C}_k\right\|_{S_\sigma^*}^2 = \gamma^* H_N^{(\sigma)} \gamma = \sum_{m=1}^N \frac{|\eta_m - \eta_{m+1}|^2}{w_m^{(\sigma)}}. \tag{14}$$ Let $D_N^{(\sigma)} := \operatorname{diag}(2^{2\sigma}, 3^{2\sigma}, \dots, N^{2\sigma})$ and define the generalized maximum eigenvalue $$\lambda_{\max}^{(N)}(\sigma) := \lambda_{\max}\!\left(H_N^{(\sigma)}, N D_N^{(\sigma)}\right) = \sup_{\gamma \in \mathbb{C}^{N-1} \setminus \{0\}} \frac{\left\|\sum_{k=2}^N \gamma_k \mathcal{C}_k\right\|_{S_\sigma^*}^2}{N \sum_{k=2}^N k^{2\sigma}|\gamma_k|^2}. \tag{15}$$
Theorem 1 (Two-Sided Divisor-Sum Operator Norm Bounds and Critical-Line Primorial Enclosures). Let $\sigma \in [1/2, 1)$ and $N \ge 2$.
- (Exact Asymptotic Lower Bound from the $j = 1$ Regime): For every $\sigma \in [1/2, 1)$, $$\liminf_{N \to \infty} \lambda_{\max}^{(N)}(\sigma) \ge \frac{2}{\sigma}. \tag{16}$$
- (Exact Finite-$N$ Cauchy-Schwarz Column Weight): For each $m \ge 1$, define $$\widetilde{W}_m^{(\sigma)} := \frac{2}{w_m^{(\sigma)}} + \frac{2\,\mathbf{1}_{m \ge 2}}{w_{m-1}^{(\sigma)}}, \qquad \vartheta_m^{(\sigma)} := \frac{\sigma\,\widetilde{W}_m^{(\sigma)}}{2m^{2\sigma+1}} = 1 + \frac{4\sigma^2 - 1}{12 m^2} + O(m^{-4}). \tag{17}$$ Then $\vartheta_m^{(1/2)} = 1$ identically for all $m \ge 1$, and for every $\sigma \in (1/2, 1)$, $m \mapsto \vartheta_m^{(\sigma)}$ is strictly decreasing on $m \ge 1$ with $1 < \vartheta_m^{(\sigma)} \le \vartheta_1^{(\sigma)} = \frac{\sigma}{1 - 2^{-2\sigma}}$. Let $Q(L) := \sum_{\ell=1}^L \mu(\ell)^2$ denote the number of squarefree integers in $\{1, \dots, L\}$, and for each $2 \le k \le N$ define the exact finite-$N$ column weight (and its principal part $\Psi_{\sigma, N}(k)$) $$\widetilde{\Psi}_{\sigma, N}(k) := \sum_{j \mid k} \mu(j)^2 j^{-2\sigma}\,\vartheta_{k/j}^{(\sigma)}\,\frac{Q(\lfloor Nj/k \rfloor)}{Nj/k}, \qquad \Psi_{\sigma, N}(k) := \sum_{j \mid k} \mu(j)^2 j^{-2\sigma}\,\frac{Q(\lfloor Nj/k \rfloor)}{Nj/k}. \tag{18}$$ Then for every vector $\gamma = (\gamma_2, \dots, \gamma_N)^T \in \mathbb{C}^{N-1}$, $$\left\|\sum_{k=2}^N \gamma_k \mathcal{C}_k\right\|_{S_\sigma^*}^2 \le \frac{2}{\sigma} N \sum_{k=2}^N \widetilde{\Psi}_{\sigma, N}(k)\,k^{2\sigma}|\gamma_k|^2 \le C_{\mathrm{col}}^{(N)}(\sigma)\,N \sum_{k=2}^N k^{2\sigma}|\gamma_k|^2, \qquad C_{\mathrm{col}}^{(N)}(\sigma) := \frac{2}{\sigma}\max_{2 \le k \le N}\widetilde{\Psi}_{\sigma, N}(k). \tag{19}$$
- (Finite-$N$ Primorial Bound and Uniform Squarefree Euler Bound): Let $p_1 < p_2 < \cdots$ denote the primes, and let $r(N)$ be the unique integer such that the primorial $P_{r(N)} := \prod_{i=1}^{r(N)} p_i \le N < P_{r(N)+1}$. Then for every $2 \le k \le N$, $$\Psi_{\sigma, N}(k) \le \widetilde{\Psi}_{\sigma, N}(k) \le \vartheta_1^{(\sigma)} \Psi_{\sigma, N}(k) \le \vartheta_1^{(\sigma)} \prod_{p \mid k}\left(1 + p^{-2\sigma}\right) \le \vartheta_1^{(\sigma)} \prod_{i=1}^{r(N)}\left(1 + p_i^{-2\sigma}\right), \tag{20}$$ and consequently, for all $\sigma \in [1/2, 1)$ (and for $\sigma > 1/2$ in the $N$-uniform Euler bound), $$\lambda_{\max}^{(N)}(\sigma) \le C_{\mathrm{col}}^{(N)}(\sigma) \le C_{\mathrm{prim}}^{(N)}(\sigma) := \frac{2}{1 - 2^{-2\sigma}}\prod_{i=1}^{r(N)}\left(1 + p_i^{-2\sigma}\right) < C_{\mathrm{Euler}}(\sigma) := \frac{2}{1 - 2^{-2\sigma}}\frac{\zeta(2\sigma)}{\zeta(4\sigma)} < C_{\mathrm{unw}}(\sigma) := \frac{2}{1 - 2^{-2\sigma}}\zeta(2\sigma). \tag{21}$$
Proof. Part 1 (Asymptotic Lower Bound $2/\sigma$): Let $\delta \in (0, 1/2)$ and $N > 2/(1-\delta)$, and test the localized alternating vector $\gamma_k := (-1)^k k^{-\sigma}\,\mathbf{1}_{(1-\delta)N < k \le N}$ ($2 \le k \le N$). For every step index $m \in ((1-\delta)N, N]$, we have $m > N/2$, so $\lfloor N/m \rfloor = 1$ in (13) and all $j \ge 2$ divisor terms vanish identically, leaving $\eta_m = \gamma_m \mu(1) = (-1)^m m^{-\sigma}$. For $(1-\delta)N < m \le N - 1$, $\gamma_m$ and $\gamma_{m+1}$ have opposite signs, so $|\eta_m - \eta_{m+1}|^2 = (m^{-\sigma} + (m+1)^{-\sigma})^2 = 4m^{-2\sigma}(1 + O(m^{-1}))$. Since $(w_m^{(\sigma)})^{-1} = \frac{m^{2\sigma+1}}{2\sigma}(1 + O(m^{-1}))$, summing over $(1-\delta)N < m \le N - 1$ gives $$\left\|\sum_{k=2}^N \gamma_k \mathcal{C}_k\right\|_{S_\sigma^*}^2 \ge \sum_{(1-\delta)N < m \le N-1} \frac{|\eta_m - \eta_{m+1}|^2}{w_m^{(\sigma)}} = \frac{2}{\sigma}\frac{1 - (1-\delta)^2}{2}N^2 + O_\sigma(N). \tag{22}$$ Dividing by $N \sum_{k=2}^N k^{2\sigma}|\gamma_k|^2 = \delta N^2 + O(N)$ and letting $N \to \infty$ then $\delta \downarrow 0$ yields (16).
Part 2 (Exact Finite-$N$ Cauchy-Schwarz Column Weight): Using $|\eta_m - \eta_{m+1}|^2 \le 2|\eta_m|^2 + 2|\eta_{m+1}|^2$ in (14) and shifting $m + 1 \mapsto m$ in the second sum (with $\eta_{N+1} = 0$) gives the exact inequality $$\sum_{m=1}^N \frac{|\eta_m - \eta_{m+1}|^2}{w_m^{(\sigma)}} \le \sum_{m=1}^N \widetilde{W}_m^{(\sigma)} |\eta_m|^2 = \frac{2}{\sigma}\sum_{m=1}^N m^{2\sigma+1}\vartheta_m^{(\sigma)} |\eta_m|^2. \tag{23}$$ At $\sigma = 1/2$, $w_m^{(1/2)} = \frac{1}{m(m+1)}$, so $\widetilde{W}_1^{(1/2)} = 2(2) = 4 = 4 \cdot 1^2$ and for $m \ge 2$, $\widetilde{W}_m^{(1/2)} = 2m(m+1) + 2(m-1)m = 4m^2$, whence $\vartheta_m^{(1/2)} = \frac{(1/2)(4m^2)}{2m^2} = 1$ identically for all $m \ge 1$. For $\sigma \in (1/2, 1)$, let $\phi(t) := \frac{1 - (1+t)^{-2\sigma}}{2\sigma} = \int_0^t (1+u)^{-2\sigma-1}\,du$. Since $(1+u)^{-2\sigma-1}$ is strictly convex on $u \in (-1, \infty)$, Jensen's inequality gives $\phi(t) > t(1+t/2)^{-2\sigma-1}$, and for $m \ge 2$ we have $\vartheta_m^{(\sigma)} = \frac{1}{2}\big(\frac{1}{\phi(1/m)} + \frac{1}{-\phi(-1/m)}\big)$. Because $t \mapsto \frac{1}{2}\big(\frac{1}{\phi(t)} - \frac{1}{\phi(-t)}\big) = 1 + \frac{4\sigma^2-1}{12}t^2 + \cdots$ has strictly positive even Taylor coefficients on $|t| < 1$, $\vartheta_m^{(\sigma)}$ is strictly decreasing for $m \ge 2$ with $\vartheta_2^{(\sigma)} < \vartheta_1^{(\sigma)} = \frac{\sigma}{1 - 2^{-2\sigma}}$.
Next, for each $1 \le m \le N$, since $\mu(j) \in \{-1, 0, 1\}$, we have $|\mu(j)| = \mu(j)^2$. Applying Cauchy-Schwarz over the squarefree integers $1 \le j \le L_m := \lfloor N/m \rfloor$ gives $$|\eta_m|^2 = \left|\sum_{\substack{j=1 \\ mj \ge 2}}^{L_m} \mu(j)\,\gamma_{mj}\right|^2 \le \left(\sum_{j=1}^{L_m} \mu(j)^2\right)\left(\sum_{\substack{j=1 \\ mj \ge 2}}^{L_m} \mu(j)^2 |\gamma_{mj}|^2\right) = Q\!\left(\left\lfloor \frac{N}{m}\right\rfloor\right)\sum_{\substack{j=1 \\ mj \ge 2}}^{\lfloor N/m \rfloor} \mu(j)^2 |\gamma_{mj}|^2. \tag{24}$$ Substituting (24) into (23) and reindexing by $k = mj$ ($2 \le k \le N$, $m = k/j$, $\lfloor N/m \rfloor = \lfloor Nj/k \rfloor$), the coefficient of $|\gamma_k|^2$ is $$\frac{2}{\sigma}\sum_{j \mid k} \mu(j)^2 \left(\frac{k}{j}\right)^{2\sigma+1} \vartheta_{k/j}^{(\sigma)}\,Q\!\left(\left\lfloor \frac{Nj}{k}\right\rfloor\right) = \frac{2}{\sigma} N k^{2\sigma} \sum_{j \mid k} \mu(j)^2 j^{-2\sigma}\,\vartheta_{k/j}^{(\sigma)}\,\frac{Q(\lfloor Nj/k \rfloor)}{Nj/k} = \frac{2}{\sigma} N k^{2\sigma}\widetilde{\Psi}_{\sigma, N}(k), \tag{25}$$ establishing (18)-(19). (For example, at $N = k = 2$, $\sigma = 1/2$, $\gamma_2 = 1$, $\mathcal{C}_2(f) = -f_1 + 2f_2 - f_3$ has $\eta_1 = -1, \eta_2 = 1, \eta_3 = 0$ and $\|\mathcal{C}_2\|_{S_{1/2}^*}^2 = \frac{(-2)^2}{1/2} + \frac{1^2}{1/6} = 8 + 6 = 14$, while the right-hand side of (19) is $4 \cdot 2 \cdot \widetilde{\Psi}_{1/2, 2}(2) \cdot 2 = 16 \cdot \frac{3}{2} = 24 > 14$.)
Part 3 (Primorial and Euler Bounds): Since $1 \le \vartheta_{k/j}^{(\sigma)} \le \vartheta_1^{(\sigma)} = \frac{\sigma}{1 - 2^{-2\sigma}}$ and $Q(L) \le L$ for all $L \ge 1$, we have $\frac{Q(\lfloor Nj/k \rfloor)}{Nj/k} \le \frac{Q(\lfloor Nj/k \rfloor)}{\lfloor Nj/k \rfloor} \le 1$, so $\widetilde{\Psi}_{\sigma, N}(k) \le \vartheta_1^{(\sigma)} \sum_{j \mid k}\mu(j)^2 j^{-2\sigma} = \vartheta_1^{(\sigma)} \prod_{p \mid k}(1 + p^{-2\sigma})$. Since the number of distinct prime factors $\omega(k)$ of any $k \le N$ satisfies $p_1\cdots p_{\omega(k)} \le k \le N$, we have $\omega(k) \le r(N)$, and replacing the prime factors of $k$ by the smallest $\omega(k)$ primes gives $\prod_{p \mid k}(1 + p^{-2\sigma}) \le \prod_{i=1}^{r(N)}(1 + p_i^{-2\sigma}) < \prod_p (1 + p^{-2\sigma}) = \frac{\zeta(2\sigma)}{\zeta(4\sigma)}$, proving (20)-(21). $\square$
2.1 Interval-Certified Rayleigh Lower Bounds and Column/Primorial Upper Bounds
Table 1 reports 60-digit mpmath.iv interval-certified Rayleigh-quotient lower bounds on $\lambda_{\max}^{(N)}(\sigma)$ for $N \in \{100, 400, 1600\}$ (obtained via explicit integer-rounded Rayleigh-quotient witnesses $\tilde{\gamma} \in 10^{-8}\mathbb{Z}^{N-1}$, extending the $\sigma \in \{0.60, 0.75, 0.90\}$ eigenvalue calculations of span_of_dilates on the r/riemann_hypothesis forum down to $\sigma = 0.55$ and $\sigma = 0.50$) together with the 60-digit mpmath.iv interval-certified upper bounds $C_{\mathrm{col}}^{(1600)}(\sigma)$, $C_{\mathrm{prim}}^{(1600)}(\sigma)$ ($r(1600) = 4$), $C_{\mathrm{Euler}}(\sigma)$, and $C_{\mathrm{unw}}(\sigma)$. All lower bounds are rounded strictly downward (ROUND_FLOOR) and all upper bounds are rounded strictly upward (ROUND_CEILING).
| $\sigma$ | Asymptotic Lower $2/\sigma \ge$ | Certified Rayleigh Lower $\lambda_{\max}^{(100)}(\sigma) \ge$ | Certified Rayleigh Lower $\lambda_{\max}^{(400)}(\sigma) \ge$ | Certified Rayleigh Lower $\lambda_{\max}^{(1600)}(\sigma) \ge$ | Exact Column Upper $C_{\mathrm{col}}^{(1600)}(\sigma) \le$ ($\arg\max k$) | Primorial Upper $C_{\mathrm{prim}}^{(1600)}(\sigma) \le$ ($r=4$) | Squarefree Euler $C_{\mathrm{Euler}}(\sigma) \le$ | Unweighted $C_{\mathrm{unw}}(\sigma) \le$ | | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | | $0.50$ | $4.000000$ | $4.269010$ | $4.450491$ | $4.527602$ | $9.342167$ ($k=1470$) | $10.971429$ ($= 384/35$) | $\infty$ | $\infty$ | | $0.55$ | $3.636363$ | $3.803289$ | $3.948459$ | $4.019124$ | $7.849941$ ($k=1560$) | $9.338114$ | $26.621508$ | $39.680509$ | | $0.60$ | $3.333333$ | $3.429664$ | $3.556685$ | $3.616714$ | $6.706303$ ($k=1560$) | $8.091347$ | $14.315223$ | $19.802861$ | | $0.75$ | $2.666666$ | $2.655197$ | $2.747755$ | $2.790196$ | $4.546628$ ($k=1590$) | $5.733976$ | $6.723694$ | $8.082262$ | | $0.90$ | $2.222222$ | $2.171883$ | $2.245616$ | $2.278942$ | $3.360442$ ($k=1590$) | $4.468914$ | $4.732161$ | $5.281040$ |
Table 1: Two-sided divisor-sum operator norm bounds across $\sigma \in \{0.50, 0.55, 0.60, 0.75, 0.90\}$ (results/multizero_smoothed_step_duality.json). All lower bounds ($2/\sigma$ and the certified Rayleigh quotients for $\lambda_{\max}^{(N)}(\sigma)$ at $N \in \{100, 400, 1600\}$) are rounded strictly downward (ROUND_FLOOR), and all upper bounds ($C_{\mathrm{col}}^{(1600)}(\sigma)$, $C_{\mathrm{prim}}^{(1600)}(\sigma)$, $C_{\mathrm{Euler}}(\sigma)$, $C_{\mathrm{unw}}(\sigma)$) are rounded strictly upward (ROUND_CEILING) from 60-digit mpmath.iv interval enclosures.
3. Sharp-Cutoff Boundary Obstruction vs. Smoothed Tail-Extended Biorthogonal Corrections
We now prove that extending the biorthogonal head correction smoothly across $N < n \le N_\delta := \lfloor(1+\delta)N\rfloor$ eliminates the $m = N$ cutoff jump and saves a full factor of $N^{2\sigma}$ in the dual norm squared.
Recall from riemann_hypothesis_9 [17] (Theorem 2(2)-(3)) that for every integer $q \ge 2$ and knot $\theta \in (0, 1)$, the flat-top Hermite spline $W_{q,\theta} \in C^{q-1}([0, \infty))$ is defined by $W_{q,\theta}(u) = 1$ on $[0, \theta]$, $W_{q,\theta}(u) = (1-\tau)^q \sum_{j=0}^{q-1}\binom{q-1+j}{j}\tau^j$ ($\tau = \frac{u-\theta}{1-\theta}$) on $(\theta, 1)$, and $W_{q,\theta}(u) = 0$ on $[1, \infty)$. For any nontrivial zero $\rho_0 = \beta_0 + i\gamma_0$ of $\zeta(s)$ with $\beta_0 \in [1/2, \sigma)$, the unprojected spline functional $\mathcal{L}_{\rho_0}^{(M; W_{q,\theta})}(f) := \sum_{d=1}^M \beta_d^{(M; W_{q,\theta})}\mathcal{D}_d(f)$ with $\beta_d^{(M; W_{q,\theta})} = \frac{2\sigma}{\rho_0}d^{-\rho_0}W_{q,\theta}\big(\frac{d}{M+1}\big)$ has coordinates $\alpha_n^{(M; W_{q,\theta})}(\rho_0) = \frac{2\sigma}{\rho_0}n^{-\rho_0}\sum_{\ell=1}^{\lfloor X_n \rfloor} \ell^{-\rho_0}W_{q,\theta}(\ell/X_n)$, where $X_n := \frac{M+1}{n}$.
Theorem 2 (Sharp-Cutoff Boundary Obstruction at $m = N$ vs. $N^{2\sigma}$-Saving Smoothed Tail Extensions). Let $\sigma \in (1/2, 1)$ and let $\rho_0 = \beta_0 + i\gamma_0$ be a nontrivial zero of $\zeta(s)$ with $\beta_0 \in [1/2, \sigma)$.
- (Linear Growth Obstruction of the Sharp Cutoff at $m = N$): For the sharp-cutoff head correction $\mathcal{H}_N := \sum_{k=2}^N \gamma_k^{(M; W_{q,\theta})}(\rho_0)\,\mathcal{C}_k$, the single step interval $m = N$ has $\eta_N = \gamma_N^{(M; W_{q,\theta})}(\rho_0)$ and $\eta_{N+1} = 0$, contributing $$\left\|\mathcal{H}_N\right\|_{S_\sigma^*}^2 \ge \frac{|\eta_N - \eta_{N+1}|^2}{w_N^{(\sigma)}} = \frac{\big|\gamma_N^{(M; W_{q,\theta})}(\rho_0)\big|^2}{w_N^{(\sigma)}} \ge \frac{N^{2\sigma+1}}{2\sigma}\big|\gamma_N^{(M; W_{q,\theta})}(\rho_0)\big|^2. \tag{26}$$ At fixed linear support scaling $M = \lfloor \Lambda N \rfloor$ ($\Lambda \ge 2/\theta$), $|\gamma_N^{(M; W_{q,\theta})}(\rho_0)| \asymp_{\rho_0,q,\theta,\Lambda} N^{-\beta_0}$ for generic $\Lambda$, so $\frac{|\gamma_N|^2}{w_N^{(\sigma)}} \asymp N^{2(\sigma-\beta_0)+1} \asymp N^1 \|\mathcal{L}_{\rho_0}^{(M; W_{q,\theta})}\|_{S_\sigma^*}^2$.
- (Smoothed Tail-Extended Biorthogonal Corrections, Target Perturbation, and Dual Norm Bound): Fix $r \ge 2$, $\theta \in (0, 1)$, and $\delta \in (0, 1]$, set $N_\delta := \lfloor(1+\delta)N\rfloor$, and define the smoothed tail-extended correction using the $C^r([0, \infty))$ spline $W_{r+1,\theta}$: $$\mathcal{H}_{N_\delta}^{\mathrm{smooth}} := \sum_{n=2}^{N_\delta} \tilde{\gamma}_n\,\mathcal{C}_n, \qquad \tilde{\gamma}_n := \gamma_n^{(M; W_{r+1,\theta})}(\rho_0)\,\Omega_\delta\!\left(\frac{n}{N_\delta + 1}\right), \qquad \Omega_\delta := W_{2, \frac{1}{1+\delta}}. \tag{27}$$ Then $\widetilde{\mathcal{L}}_{\rho_0, N}^{(M; W_{r+1,\theta}, \delta)} := \mathcal{L}_{\rho_0}^{(M; W_{r+1,\theta})} - \mathcal{H}_{N_\delta}^{\mathrm{smooth}}$ belongs to $\operatorname{Ann}_{S_\sigma^*}(\tilde{\rho}_{1/2}, \dots, \tilde{\rho}_{1/N})$ and satisfies $\widetilde{\mathcal{L}}_{\rho_0, N}^{(M; W_{r+1,\theta}, \delta)}(E) = \beta_1^{(M; W_{r+1,\theta})} - \eta_1^{\mathrm{smooth}}$. Moreover, for all $M + 1 \ge \frac{2}{\theta}N_\delta$, the residuals $\gamma_n := \gamma_n^{(M; W_{r+1,\theta})}(\rho_0)$ and their discrete differences satisfy uniformly for all $2 \le n \le N_\delta$: $$\big|\gamma_n\big| \ll_{\sigma,\rho_0,r,\theta} \frac{n^{r+1}}{(M+1)^{\beta_0 + r + 1}}, \qquad \big|\gamma_n - \gamma_{n+1}\big| \ll_{\sigma,\rho_0,r,\theta} \frac{n^{r-1}}{(M+1)^{\beta_0 + r}}, \tag{28}$$ so the target perturbation $\eta_1^{\mathrm{smooth}} = \sum_{n=2}^{N_\delta}\mu(n)\tilde{\gamma}_n$ and the dual norm squared of $\mathcal{H}_{N_\delta}^{\mathrm{smooth}}$ satisfy $$\big|\eta_1^{\mathrm{smooth}}\big| \ll_{\sigma,\rho_0,r,\theta,\delta} \frac{N^{r+2}}{(M+1)^{\beta_0 + r + 1}}, \qquad \left\|\mathcal{H}_{N_\delta}^{\mathrm{smooth}}\right\|_{S_\sigma^*}^2 \ll_{\sigma,\rho_0,r,\theta,\delta} \frac{N^{2r+2}}{(M+1)^{2\beta_0 + 2r}}\sum_{m=1}^{N_\delta} m^{2\sigma-3} \le \zeta(3 - 2\sigma)\,\frac{N^{2r+2}}{(M+1)^{2\beta_0 + 2r}}. \tag{29}$$
- (Unconditional Constructive Support Scaling Exponent): Fix $\theta \in [1/2, 1)$ such that $I_{W_{r+1,\theta}}(\rho_0) \ne 0$, and define the combined support exponent $$a(\sigma, \beta_0, r) := \max\!\left(\frac{r+1}{\sigma + r},\; \frac{r+2}{\beta_0 + r + 1}\right) \qquad \left(= \frac{r+2}{r + 3/2} = 1 + \frac{1}{2r + 3} \text{ when } \beta_0 = \frac{1}{2}\right). \tag{30}$$ Under the support scaling $M = \big\lfloor \Lambda N^{a(\sigma, \beta_0, r)} \big\rfloor$, for $\Lambda = \Lambda(\sigma, \rho_0, r, \theta, \delta) > 0$ sufficiently large, both $\|\mathcal{H}_{N_\delta}^{\mathrm{smooth}}\|_{S_\sigma^*} \le \frac{1}{2}\|\mathcal{L}_{\rho_0}^{(M; W_{r+1,\theta})}\|_{S_\sigma^*}$ and $|\eta_1^{\mathrm{smooth}}| \le \frac{\sigma}{2|\rho_0|} = \frac{1}{4}|\beta_1^{(M; W_{r+1,\theta})}|$ hold simultaneously for all $N \ge 2$, yielding the unconditional constructive power-law lower bound $$d_N(\sigma)^2 \ge \frac{\big|\widetilde{\mathcal{L}}_{\rho_0, N}^{(M; W_{r+1,\theta}, \delta)}(E)\big|^2}{\big\|\widetilde{\mathcal{L}}_{\rho_0, N}^{(M; W_{r+1,\theta}, \delta)}\big\|_{S_\sigma^*}^2} \gg_{\sigma,\rho_0,r,\theta,\delta} M^{-2(\sigma - \beta_0)} \asymp N^{-2(\sigma - \beta_0)\,a(\sigma, \beta_0, r)}. \tag{31}$$
Proof. Part 1: Immediate from (13)-(14) since $\eta_N = \gamma_N \mu(1) = \gamma_N$, $\eta_{N+1} = 0$, and $w_N^{(\sigma)} \le 2\sigma N^{-2\sigma-1}$.
Part 2: For every $2 \le k \le N$, $\frac{k}{N_\delta + 1} \le \frac{N}{(1+\delta)N} = \frac{1}{1+\delta}$, where $\Omega_\delta = W_{2, \frac{1}{1+\delta}} \equiv 1$, so $\tilde{\gamma}_k = \gamma_k$. By (8)-(9), for every $2 \le k \le N$, $$\widetilde{\mathcal{L}}_{\rho_0, N}^{(M; W_{r+1,\theta}, \delta)}(\tilde{\rho}_{1/k}) = \mathcal{L}_{\rho_0}^{(M; W_{r+1,\theta})}(\tilde{\rho}_{1/k}) - \sum_{n=2}^{N_\delta} \tilde{\gamma}_n \delta_{n,k} = \gamma_k - \tilde{\gamma}_k = 0, \tag{32}$$ and $\widetilde{\mathcal{L}}_{\rho_0, N}^{(M; W_{r+1,\theta}, \delta)}(E) = \beta_1^{(M; W_{r+1,\theta})} - \sum_{n=2}^{N_\delta} \tilde{\gamma}_n \mu(n) = \beta_1^{(M; W_{r+1,\theta})} - \eta_1^{\mathrm{smooth}}$.
To prove the uniform bounds (28) without any endpoint-jump artifact at $\lfloor \theta X \rfloor$, we use the exact Euler-Maclaurin subtraction method of riemann_hypothesis_9 [17] (equation (249)) at order $r + 1$. For any real $X \ge 2/\theta > 2$, consider the two functions $g_X(t) := t^{-\rho_0}W_{r+1,\theta}(t/X)$ and $g_\infty(t) := t^{-\rho_0}$ on $[1, \infty)$. Their difference
$$h_X(t) := g_X(t) - g_\infty(t) = t^{-\rho_0}\left(W_{r+1,\theta}\!\left(\frac{t}{X}\right) - 1\right) \tag{33}$$
belongs to $C^r([1, \infty))$ (since $t^{-\rho_0} \in C^\infty([1, \infty))$ and $W_{r+1,\theta} \in C^r([0, \infty))$) and vanishes identically on $[1, \theta X]$ because $W_{r+1,\theta}(u) = 1$ on $[0, \theta]$ and $\theta X \ge 2 > 1$. In particular, $h_X^{(m)}(1) = 0$ and $h_X^{(m)}(\theta X) = 0$ for all $0 \le m \le r$, and for $t \ge X$, $h_X(t) = -t^{-\rho_0}$. Applying Euler-Maclaurin summation of order $r + 1$ on $[1, \infty)$ separately to $g_X(t)$ and $g_\infty(t)$ and subtracting (using $\sum_{\ell=1}^{\lfloor X \rfloor} g_X(\ell) = \sum_{\ell=1}^\infty g_X(\ell)$ and the analytic continuation identity for $\zeta(\rho_0) = 0$), all lower-endpoint boundary terms at $t = 1$ and the remainder integral on $[1, \theta X]$ cancel identically, leaving the exact identity for all real $X \ge 2/\theta$:
$$\sum_{\ell=1}^{\lfloor X \rfloor} \ell^{-\rho_0}W_{r+1,\theta}\!\left(\frac{\ell}{X}\right) = I_{W_{r+1,\theta}}(\rho_0)\,X^{1-\rho_0} + \mathcal{R}_{r+1}(X), \qquad \mathcal{R}_{r+1}(X) := \frac{(-1)^{r+2}}{(r+1)!}\int_{\theta X}^\infty \widetilde{B}_{r+1}(t)\,h_X^{(r+1)}(t)\,dt. \tag{34}$$
Notice that $\mathcal{R}_{r+1}(X)$ is a smooth integral over $t \in [\theta X, \infty)$ with no dependence on the integer part $\lfloor \theta X \rfloor$! Changing variables to $y = t/X \in [\theta, \infty)$ and setting $H_0(y) := y^{-\rho_0}(W_{r+1,\theta}(y) - 1)$, we have $h_X^{(r+1)}(X y) = X^{-\rho_0-r-1} H_0^{(r+1)}(y)$, where $H_0^{(r+1)}(y)$ is smooth on $[\theta, 1]$ and equals $-(\rho_0)_{r+1}^{\downarrow} y^{-\rho_0-r-1}$ on $(1, \infty)$ (with $(s)_m^{\downarrow} := s(s+1)\cdots(s+m-1)$). Thus the rescaled remainder $\Phi_{r+1}(X) := X^{\rho_0}\mathcal{R}_{r+1}(X)$ equals
$$\Phi_{r+1}(X) = \frac{(-1)^{r+2}}{(r+1)!}\,X^{-r}\left[\int_\theta^1 \widetilde{B}_{r+1}(Xy)\,H_0^{(r+1)}(y)\,dy - (\rho_0)_{r+1}^{\downarrow}\int_1^\infty \widetilde{B}_{r+1}(Xy)\,y^{-\rho_0-r-1}\,dy\right]. \tag{35}$$
Since $r + 1 \ge 3$, $\widetilde{B}_{r+1}'(t) = (r+1)\widetilde{B}_r(t)$ and $\widetilde{B}_{r+2}'(t) = (r+2)\widetilde{B}_{r+1}(t)$ are continuous and bounded on $\mathbb{R}$. Writing $\widetilde{B}_{r+1}(Xy) = \frac{1}{(r+2)X}\frac{d}{dy}\widetilde{B}_{r+2}(Xy)$ and integrating by parts once on $[\theta, 1]$ and on $[1, \infty)$ gains a factor of $X^{-1}$, proving
$$\big|\Phi_{r+1}(X)\big| \ll_{\rho_0,r,\theta} X^{-r-1} \qquad (\forall X \ge 2/\theta). \tag{36}$$
Moreover, since $\widetilde{B}_{r+1}$ is $C^1$ with derivative $(r+1)\widetilde{B}_r$, we may differentiate (35) under the integral sign with respect to $X \ge 2/\theta$:
$$\Phi_{r+1}'(X) = -\frac{r}{X}\Phi_{r+1}(X) + \frac{(-1)^{r+2}}{r!}\,X^{-r}\left[\int_\theta^1 \widetilde{B}_r(Xy)\,y H_0^{(r+1)}(y)\,dy - (\rho_0)_{r+1}^{\downarrow}\int_1^\infty \widetilde{B}_r(Xy)\,y^{-\rho_0-r}\,dy\right]. \tag{37}$$
Writing $\widetilde{B}_r(Xy) = \frac{1}{(r+1)X}\frac{d}{dy}\widetilde{B}_{r+1}(Xy)$ and integrating by parts once on $[\theta, 1]$ and on $[1, \infty)$ (since $\int_1^\infty y^{-\beta_0-r-1}\,dy < \infty$ for $r \ge 2$) again gains a factor of $X^{-1}$, proving
$$\big|\Phi_{r+1}'(X)\big| \ll_{\rho_0,r,\theta} X^{-r-1} \qquad (\forall X \ge 2/\theta). \tag{38}$$
Now substitute $X_n = \frac{M+1}{n}$ into $\alpha_n = \frac{2\sigma}{\rho_0}n^{-\rho_0}\big[I_{W_{r+1,\theta}}(\rho_0)X_n^{1-\rho_0} + \mathcal{R}_{r+1}(X_n)\big]$: in $\gamma_n = \alpha_n - n^{-1}\alpha_1$, the main term $\frac{2\sigma}{\rho_0}I_{W_{r+1,\theta}}(\rho_0)\frac{(M+1)^{1-\rho_0}}{n}$ cancels identically, leaving the exact formula
$$\gamma_n = \frac{2\sigma}{\rho_0}(M+1)^{-\rho_0}\left(\Phi_{r+1}(X_n) - \frac{\Phi_{r+1}(M+1)}{n}\right) \qquad (2 \le n \le N_\delta). \tag{39}$$
By (36), $|\gamma_n| \ll (M+1)^{-\beta_0}\big(X_n^{-r-1} + n^{-1}(M+1)^{-r-1}\big) \ll \frac{n^{r+1}}{(M+1)^{\beta_0+r+1}}$. And for $2 \le n < N_\delta$, by the mean value theorem on $[X_{n+1}, X_n]$ where $|X_n - X_{n+1}| = \frac{M+1}{n(n+1)} \le \frac{X_n}{n}$, (38) gives
$$\big|\Phi_{r+1}(X_n) - \Phi_{r+1}(X_{n+1})\big| \le \sup_{\xi \in [X_{n+1}, X_n]} |\Phi_{r+1}'(\xi)|\,\frac{X_n}{n} \ll_{\rho_0,r,\theta} X_n^{-r-1}\,\frac{X_n}{n} = \frac{n^{r-1}}{(M+1)^r}. \tag{40}$$
Multiplying by $(M+1)^{-\beta_0}$ in (39) yields $|\gamma_n - \gamma_{n+1}| \ll_{\sigma,\rho_0,r,\theta} \frac{n^{r-1}}{(M+1)^{\beta_0+r}}$, completing the proof of (28). Summing $|\tilde{\gamma}_n| \le |\gamma_n| \ll \frac{n^{r+1}}{(M+1)^{\beta_0+r+1}}$ over $2 \le n \le N_\delta$ yields $|\eta_1^{\mathrm{smooth}}| \le \sum_{n=2}^{N_\delta}|\tilde{\gamma}_n| \ll_\delta \frac{N^{r+2}}{(M+1)^{\beta_0+r+1}}$.
Finally, multiplying $\gamma_n$ by $\Omega_\delta\big(\frac{n}{N_\delta+1}\big)$, the discrete product rule gives $|\tilde{\gamma}_n - \tilde{\gamma}_{n+1}| \le |\gamma_n - \gamma_{n+1}| + |\gamma_{n+1}|\frac{\|\Omega_\delta'\|_\infty}{N_\delta+1} \ll_\delta \frac{n^{r-1}}{(M+1)^{\beta_0+r}}$ for all $2 \le n \le N_\delta$ (with $\tilde{\gamma}_{N_\delta+1} = 0$ since $\Omega_\delta(1) = \Omega_\delta'(1) = 0$ and $\frac{n^{r+1}}{(N_\delta+1)(M+1)^{\beta_0+r+1}} \le \frac{n^{r-1}}{(M+1)^{\beta_0+r}}$). Because $\tilde{\gamma}_n = 0$ for all $n \ge N_\delta + 1$, for every $1 \le m \le N_\delta$ we have $\eta_m^{\mathrm{smooth}} - \eta_{m+1}^{\mathrm{smooth}} = \sum_{j=1}^{\lfloor N_\delta/m \rfloor} \mu(j)(\tilde{\gamma}_{mj} - \tilde{\gamma}_{(m+1)j})$ with no cutoff jump at $j > \lfloor N_\delta/(m+1)\rfloor$. Since $|\tilde{\gamma}_{mj} - \tilde{\gamma}_{(m+1)j}| \le \sum_{\ell=0}^{j-1}|\tilde{\gamma}_{mj+\ell} - \tilde{\gamma}_{mj+\ell+1}| \ll \frac{(mj)^{r-1}j}{(M+1)^{\beta_0+r}}$, summing over $1 \le j \le \lfloor N_\delta/m \rfloor$ gives $$\big|\eta_m^{\mathrm{smooth}} - \eta_{m+1}^{\mathrm{smooth}}\big| \ll_{\sigma,\rho_0,r,\theta,\delta} \sum_{j=1}^{\lfloor N_\delta/m \rfloor} \frac{m^{r-1} j^r}{(M+1)^{\beta_0+r}} \ll \frac{N_\delta^{r+1}}{m^2(M+1)^{\beta_0+r}} \qquad (1 \le m \le N_\delta). \tag{41}$$ Squaring (41) and summing against $(w_m^{(\sigma)})^{-1} \ll_\sigma m^{2\sigma+1}$ gives (29).
Part 3: Since $\|\mathcal{L}_{\rho_0}^{(M; W_{r+1,\theta})}\|_{S_\sigma^*} \asymp (M+1)^{\sigma-\beta_0}$ and $|\beta_1^{(M; W_{r+1,\theta})}| = \frac{2\sigma}{|\rho_0|}$, the two bounds in (29) yield $$\frac{\big\|\mathcal{H}_{N_\delta}^{\mathrm{smooth}}\big\|_{S_\sigma^*}}{\big\|\mathcal{L}_{\rho_0}^{(M; W_{r+1,\theta})}\big\|_{S_\sigma^*}} \ll_{\sigma,\rho_0,r,\theta,\delta} \frac{N^{r+1}}{(M+1)^{\sigma + r}}, \qquad \big|\eta_1^{\mathrm{smooth}}\big| \ll_{\sigma,\rho_0,r,\theta,\delta} \frac{N^{r+2}}{(M+1)^{\beta_0 + r + 1}}. \tag{42a}$$ Under $M = \big\lfloor \Lambda N^{a(\sigma, \beta_0, r)} \big\rfloor$ with $a(\sigma, \beta_0, r) = \max\!\big(\frac{r+1}{\sigma+r},\, \frac{r+2}{\beta_0+r+1}\big)$, we have $(M+1)^{\sigma+r} \ge \Lambda^{\sigma+r} N^{r+1}$ and $(M+1)^{\beta_0+r+1} \ge \Lambda^{\beta_0+r+1} N^{r+2}$. Thus $\frac{\|\mathcal{H}_{N_\delta}^{\mathrm{smooth}}\|_{S_\sigma^*}}{\|\mathcal{L}_{\rho_0}^{(M; W_{r+1,\theta})}\|_{S_\sigma^*}} \ll \Lambda^{-(\sigma+r)}$ and $|\eta_1^{\mathrm{smooth}}| \ll \Lambda^{-(\beta_0+r+1)}$ uniformly for all $N \ge 2$. Choosing $\Lambda$ sufficiently large guarantees $\|\mathcal{H}_{N_\delta}^{\mathrm{smooth}}\|_{S_\sigma^*} \le \frac{1}{2}\|\mathcal{L}_{\rho_0}^{(M; W_{r+1,\theta})}\|_{S_\sigma^*}$ and $|\eta_1^{\mathrm{smooth}}| \le \frac{\sigma}{2|\rho_0|}$, so $|\widetilde{\mathcal{L}}_{\rho_0, N}^{(M; W_{r+1,\theta}, \delta)}(E)| \ge |\beta_1| - |\eta_1^{\mathrm{smooth}}| \ge \frac{3\sigma}{2|\rho_0|} > \frac{\sigma}{|\rho_0|}$, yielding (31). $\square$
Corollary 1 (Intermediate-Scale Decomposition and Linear-Support Bound on the Macroscopic Step Range). In the setting of Theorem 2(2), for any intermediate scale $K_N := \lfloor \varepsilon_0 N^\kappa \rfloor$ with $\kappa \in (0, 1]$ and $\varepsilon_0 \in (0, 1]$, summing (41) over $K_N < m \le N_\delta$ gives unconditionally $$\sum_{m=K_N+1}^{N_\delta} \frac{\big|\eta_m^{\mathrm{smooth}} - \eta_{m+1}^{\mathrm{smooth}}\big|^2}{w_m^{(\sigma)}} \ll_{\sigma,\rho_0,r,\theta,\delta,\varepsilon_0} \frac{N^{2r+2} K_N^{2\sigma-2}}{(M+1)^{2\beta_0+2r}} \asymp \frac{N^{2r + 2 - 2\kappa(1-\sigma)}}{(M+1)^{2\beta_0+2r}}. \tag{42b}$$ In particular, at $\kappa = 1$ ($K_N = \lfloor \varepsilon_0 N \rfloor$, e.g., $m > N/2$), the macroscopic tail satisfies $\sum_{m > \varepsilon_0 N}^{N_\delta} \frac{|\eta_m^{\mathrm{smooth}} - \eta_{m+1}^{\mathrm{smooth}}|^2}{w_m^{(\sigma)}} \ll \frac{N^{2\sigma+2r}}{(M+1)^{2\beta_0+2r}}$, which at strictly linear support scaling $M = \lfloor \Lambda N \rfloor$ is already $\ll \Lambda^{-(2\beta_0+2r)} N^{2(\sigma-\beta_0)} \asymp \Lambda^{-(2\sigma+2r)}\|\mathcal{L}_{\rho_0}^{(M; W_{r+1,\theta})}\|_{S_\sigma^*}^2$ unconditionally.
3.1 Numerical Verification of Cutoff Jump Elimination and Support Scaling
Table 2 compares the sharp-cutoff head correction $\mathcal{H}_N$ against the smoothed tail-extended corrections $\mathcal{H}_{\lfloor 9N/8\rfloor}^{\mathrm{smooth}}$ ($\delta = 1/8$) and $\mathcal{H}_{2N}^{\mathrm{smooth}}$ ($\delta = 1$) using $W_3 = W_{3, 1/2}$ ($r = 2$) at fixed linear ratio $M = 8N$ across $N \in \{40, 80, 160, 320, 640, 1280, 2560\}$ at $\sigma = 0.75$ ($\rho_1 = 1/2 + 14.134725i$), and verifies the Theorem 2(3) combined scaling $M = \lfloor 4 N^{a(0.75, 1/2, 2)}\rfloor = \lfloor 4 N^{8/7}\rfloor$ ($r = 2$, $a = \max(12/11, 8/7) = 8/7 \approx 1.1429$).
| $N$ | $M = 8N$ | Sharp Single $m=N$ Jump $\frac{|\gamma_N|^2}{w_N^{(\sigma)}\|\mathcal{L}\|^2}$ | Sharp Total Ratio $\frac{\|\mathcal{H}_N\|^2}{\|\mathcal{L}\|^2}$ ($\propto N^1$) | Smoothed ($\delta = 1/8$) Ratio $\frac{\|\mathcal{H}_{\lfloor 9N/8\rfloor}^{\mathrm{smooth}}\|^2}{\|\mathcal{L}\|^2}$ | Smoothed ($\delta = 1$) Ratio $\frac{\|\mathcal{H}_{2N}^{\mathrm{smooth}}\|^2}{\|\mathcal{L}\|^2}$ | Smoothed ($\delta = 1/8$) Target Ratio $\frac{|\eta_1^{\mathrm{smooth}}|}{|\beta_1|}$ | Theorem 2(3) $M = \lfloor 4N^{8/7}\rfloor$ Ratio $\frac{\|\mathcal{H}^{\mathrm{smooth}}\|^2}{\|\mathcal{L}\|^2}$ | Theorem 2(3) Scaled Bound $d_N(0.75)^2 N^{4/7}$ | | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | | $40$ | $320$ | $1.36 \times 10^{-6}$ | $4.06 \times 10^{-6}$ | $8.01 \times 10^{-6}$ | $4.18 \times 10^{-4}$ | $2.02 \times 10^{-3}$ | $3.76 \times 10^{-5}$ ($M=271$) | $0.002722$ | | $80$ | $640$ | $2.60 \times 10^{-6}$ | $5.90 \times 10^{-6}$ | $8.05 \times 10^{-6}$ | $4.16 \times 10^{-4}$ | $1.09 \times 10^{-3}$ | $1.75 \times 10^{-5}$ ($M=598$) | $0.002545$ | | $160$ | $1280$ | $5.03 \times 10^{-6}$ | $9.30 \times 10^{-6}$ | $8.21 \times 10^{-6}$ | $4.25 \times 10^{-4}$ | $1.16 \times 10^{-3}$ | $5.03 \times 10^{-6}$ ($M=1321$) | $0.002433$ | | $320$ | $2560$ | $9.82 \times 10^{-6}$ | $1.57 \times 10^{-5}$ | $8.39 \times 10^{-6}$ | $4.28 \times 10^{-4}$ | $1.56 \times 10^{-3}$ | $1.41 \times 10^{-6}$ ($M=2918$) | $0.002366$ | | $640$ | $5120$ | $1.93 \times 10^{-5}$ | $2.82 \times 10^{-5}$ | $8.49 \times 10^{-6}$ | $4.32 \times 10^{-4}$ | $2.32 \times 10^{-3}$ | $7.19 \times 10^{-7}$ ($M=6443$) | $0.002322$ | | $1280$ | $10240$ | $3.81 \times 10^{-5}$ | $5.25 \times 10^{-5}$ | $8.57 \times 10^{-6}$ | $4.36 \times 10^{-4}$ | $8.49 \times 10^{-4}$ | — | — | | $2560$ | $20480$ | $7.56 \times 10^{-5}$ | $1.01 \times 10^{-4}$ | $8.69 \times 10^{-6}$ | $4.39 \times 10^{-4}$ | $2.61 \times 10^{-3}$ | — | — |
Table 2: Comparison of the sharp-cutoff head correction $\mathcal{H}_N$ vs. the smoothed tail-extended corrections $\mathcal{H}_{\lfloor 9N/8\rfloor}^{\mathrm{smooth}}$ ($\delta = 1/8$) and $\mathcal{H}_{2N}^{\mathrm{smooth}}$ ($\delta = 1$) using $W_3 = W_{3, 1/2}$ ($r = 2$) at $\sigma = 0.75$ (results/multizero_smoothed_step_duality.json). Under the Theorem 2(3) combined scaling $M = \lfloor 4N^{8/7}\rfloor$, both $\frac{\|\mathcal{H}^{\mathrm{smooth}}\|^2}{\|\mathcal{L}\|^2}$ (from $3.76 \times 10^{-5}$ to $7.19 \times 10^{-7}$) and $\frac{|\eta_1^{\mathrm{smooth}}|}{|\beta_1|}$ (from $3.01 \times 10^{-3}$ to $3.14 \times 10^{-4}$) decay rapidly as $N$ increases.
Figure 1: (a) Two-sided divisor-sum operator norm bounds across sigma in [0.50, 0.90] (Theorem 1). (b) Elimination of the m=N sharp-cutoff jump via smoothed tail-extended biorthogonal corrections H_{N_delta}^{smooth} for delta in {1/8, 1} across N in [40, 2560] (Theorem 2).
4. Multi-Zero Step-Space Annihilator Superposition and the Continuum Mellin-Sobolev Kernel
We now analyze the superposition of $d = 2J$ smoothed zero-annihilators $\widetilde{\mathcal{L}}_{\mu, N}^{(M)} := \mathcal{L}_{\rho_\mu}^{(M; W)} - \mathcal{H}_{N_\delta}^{\mathrm{smooth}}(\rho_\mu) \in \operatorname{Ann}_{S_\sigma^*}(\tilde{\rho}_{1/2}, \dots, \tilde{\rho}_{1/N})$ ($W = W_{r+1,\theta}$), establishing their asymptotic Gram factorization via the continuum Mellin-Sobolev kernel on $L^2((0, 1], u^{2\sigma-1}\,du)$: $$\mathcal{K}_W^{(\sigma)}(\rho, \rho') := \int_0^1 u^{2\sigma - \rho - \overline{\rho'} - 1}\left(W(u) - \frac{u}{\rho}W'(u)\right)\overline{\left(W(u) - \frac{u}{\rho'}W'(u)\right)}\,du. \tag{43}$$
Theorem 3 (Multi-Zero Step-Space Annihilator Superposition and Mellin-Sobolev Gram Factorization). Let $\sigma \in (1/2, 1)$, let $\rho_1, \dots, \rho_d$ be $d$ distinct nontrivial zeros of $\zeta(s)$ in $\operatorname{Re}(s) \in [1/2, \sigma)$, and let $W = W_{r+1,\theta}$ ($r \ge 2, \theta \in (0, 1)$). For each $1 \le \mu \le d$, let $\widetilde{\mathcal{L}}_{\mu, N}^{(M)} := \mathcal{L}_{\rho_\mu}^{(M; W)} - \mathcal{H}_{N_\delta}^{\mathrm{smooth}}(\rho_\mu) \in \operatorname{Ann}_{S_\sigma^*}(\tilde{\rho}_{1/2}, \dots, \tilde{\rho}_{1/N})$.
- (Continuum Mellin-Sobolev Gram Factorization and Explicit Projection Remainder): As $M \to \infty$, the $d \times d$ unprojected dual Gram matrix $G_{\mu,\nu}^{(M)} := \langle \mathcal{L}_{\rho_\mu}^{(M; W)}, \mathcal{L}_{\rho_\nu}^{(M; W)} \rangle_{S_\sigma^*}$ satisfies $$G_{\mu,\nu}^{(M)} = 2\sigma (M+1)^{2\sigma - \rho_\mu - \overline{\rho_\nu}}\,\mathcal{K}_W^{(\sigma)}(\rho_\mu, \rho_\nu) + O_{\sigma,\rho_\mu,\rho_\nu,W}(1). \tag{44}$$ Moreover, for all $M + 1 \ge \frac{2}{\theta}N_\delta$, Theorem 2(2) yields the explicit projection remainders $$\frac{\big|\widetilde{G}_{\mu,\nu}^{(N, M)} - G_{\mu,\nu}^{(M)}\big|}{(M+1)^{2\sigma - \beta_\mu - \beta_\nu}} \ll \frac{N^{r+1}}{(M+1)^{\sigma+r}}, \qquad b_\mu^{(N, M)} := \widetilde{\mathcal{L}}_{\mu, N}^{(M)}(E) = \frac{2\sigma}{\rho_\mu} + O\!\left(\frac{N^{r+2}}{(M+1)^{\beta_\mu+r+1}}\right), \tag{44a}$$ both of which are $O\big(\Lambda^{-(\sigma+r)} + \Lambda^{-(\beta_\mu+r+1)}\big)$ uniformly in $N \ge 2$ at $M = \lfloor \Lambda N^{a(\sigma, \beta_0, r)}\rfloor$, and vanish as $N^{-\varepsilon}$ as $N \to \infty$ for any $M \asymp N^a$ with $a > \max_\mu a(\sigma, \beta_\mu, r)$.
- (Multi-Zero Superposition Lower Bound in $\operatorname{Ann}_{S_\sigma^*}$): For every coefficient vector $\lambda = (\lambda_1, \dots, \lambda_d)^T \in \mathbb{C}^d \setminus \{0\}$, the linear combination $\widetilde{\mathcal{L}}_{\lambda, N}^{(M)} := \sum_{\mu=1}^d \lambda_\mu \widetilde{\mathcal{L}}_{\mu, N}^{(M)}$ belongs to $\operatorname{Ann}_{S_\sigma^*}(\tilde{\rho}_{1/2}, \dots, \tilde{\rho}_{1/N})$ and certifies $$d_N(\sigma)^2 \ge \frac{\big|\lambda^T b^{(N, M)}\big|^2}{\lambda^T \widetilde{G}^{(N, M)} \bar{\lambda}}, \qquad \sup_{\lambda \in \mathbb{C}^d \setminus \{0\}} \frac{\big|\lambda^T b^{(N, M)}\big|^2}{\lambda^T \widetilde{G}^{(N, M)} \bar{\lambda}} = \big(b^{(N, M)}\big)^* \big(\widetilde{G}^{(N, M)}\big)^{-1} b^{(N, M)}. \tag{45}$$ When all $\rho_\mu = \frac{1}{2} + i\gamma_\mu$ lie on the critical line, defining $D_M := \operatorname{diag}\big((M+1)^{-i\gamma_1}, \dots, (M+1)^{-i\gamma_d}\big)$ and $(b_0)_\mu := 2\sigma/\rho_\mu$, the projected multi-zero lower bound satisfies $$\big(b^{(N, M)}\big)^* \big(\widetilde{G}^{(N, M)}\big)^{-1} b^{(N, M)} = \frac{(M+1)^{-(2\sigma-1)}}{2\sigma}\left[(D_M^* b_0)^* \big(\mathcal{K}_W^{(\sigma)}\big)^{-1} (D_M^* b_0) + O\!\left(M^{-(2\sigma-1)} + \frac{N^{r+1}}{M^{\sigma+r}} + \frac{N^{r+2}}{M^{r+3/2}}\right)\right]. \tag{46}$$
Proof. Part 1: For each $1 \le m \le M$, set $u_m := \frac{m}{M+1}$. Since $W(u) = 1$ on $[0, \theta]$, for $1 \le m < \theta(M+1)$ we have $c_m(\mathcal{L}_{\rho_\mu}^{(M; W)}) = \frac{2\sigma}{\rho_\mu}(m^{-\rho_\mu} - (m+1)^{-\rho_\mu}) = 2\sigma m^{-\rho_\mu-1} + O(m^{-\beta_\mu-2})$, while on $\theta(M+1) \le m \le M$, the mean value theorem gives $c_m(\mathcal{L}_{\rho_\mu}^{(M; W)}) = 2\sigma m^{-\rho_\mu-1}\big(W(u_m) - \frac{u_m}{\rho_\mu}W'(u_m)\big) + O(M^{-\beta_\mu-2})$. Multiplying $c_m(\mathcal{L}_{\rho_\mu}^{(M; W)})\overline{c_m(\mathcal{L}_{\rho_\nu}^{(M; W)})}$ by $(w_m^{(\sigma)})^{-1} = \frac{m^{2\sigma+1}}{2\sigma}(1 + O(m^{-1}))$, the accumulated error over $1 \le m \le M$ is $\sum_{m=1}^M O(m^{2\sigma-\beta_\mu-\beta_\nu-2}) = O(1)$ (since $2\sigma - \beta_\mu - \beta_\nu < 1$, so $2\sigma - \beta_\mu - \beta_\nu - 2 < -1$), while by Euler-Maclaurin summation on $1 \le m \le \theta(M+1)$ and Riemann-sum comparison on $\theta(M+1) < m \le M$, the difference between $\sum_{m=1}^M m^{2\sigma-\rho_\mu-\overline{\rho_\nu}-1}\psi_\mu(u_m)\overline{\psi_\nu(u_m)}$ ($\psi_\mu(u) := W(u) - \frac{u}{\rho_\mu}W'(u)$) and $(M+1)^{2\sigma-\rho_\mu-\overline{\rho_\nu}}\int_0^1 u^{2\sigma-\rho_\mu-\overline{\rho_\nu}-1}\psi_\mu(u)\overline{\psi_\nu(u)}\,du$ is the lower-endpoint constant $\zeta(1 - 2\sigma + \rho_\mu + \overline{\rho_\nu}) + O\big((M+1)^{2\sigma-\beta_\mu-\beta_\nu-1}\big) = O(1)$, proving (44). By (42a) and Cauchy-Schwarz, $|\widetilde{G}_{\mu,\nu}^{(N, M)} - G_{\mu,\nu}^{(M)}| \ll (M+1)^{2\sigma-\beta_\mu-\beta_\nu}\frac{N^{r+1}}{(M+1)^{\sigma+r}}$ and $|b_\mu^{(N, M)} - \frac{2\sigma}{\rho_\mu}| = |\eta_1^{\mathrm{smooth}}(\rho_\mu)| \ll \frac{N^{r+2}}{(M+1)^{\beta_\mu+r+1}}$, proving (44a).
Part 2: Since our inner product $\langle \cdot, \cdot \rangle_{S_\sigma^*}$ is linear in the first argument and conjugate-linear in the second, for any $\lambda = (\lambda_1, \dots, \lambda_d)^T \in \mathbb{C}^d$, $$\left\|\sum_{\mu=1}^d \lambda_\mu \widetilde{\mathcal{L}}_{\mu, N}^{(M)}\right\|_{S_\sigma^*}^2 = \sum_{\mu,\nu=1}^d \lambda_\mu \overline{\lambda_\nu}\,\big\langle \widetilde{\mathcal{L}}_{\mu, N}^{(M)}, \widetilde{\mathcal{L}}_{\nu, N}^{(M)} \big\rangle_{S_\sigma^*} = \sum_{\mu,\nu=1}^d \lambda_\mu \widetilde{G}_{\mu,\nu}^{(N, M)} \overline{\lambda_\nu} = \lambda^T \widetilde{G}^{(N, M)} \bar{\lambda}. \tag{47}$$ Since $\widetilde{\mathcal{L}}_{\lambda, N}^{(M)}(E) = \lambda^T b^{(N, M)}$, Hahn-Banach duality (5) yields the first inequality in (45). Setting $w := \bar{\lambda}$, we have $\lambda^T \widetilde{G}^{(N, M)} \bar{\lambda} = w^T \widetilde{G}^{(N, M)} \bar{w} = w^* \big(\widetilde{G}^{(N, M)}\big)^T w$ and $|\lambda^T b^{(N, M)}|^2 = |w^* b^{(N, M)}|^2 = |\bar{w}^T b^{(N, M)}|^2$; Equivalently, writing $u := \bar{\lambda}$ so that $\lambda^T b^{(N, M)} = u^* b^{(N, M)}$, or writing $v := \lambda$ so that $\lambda^T \widetilde{G}^{(N, M)} \bar{\lambda} = (\bar{\lambda})^* \widetilde{G}^{(N, M)} \bar{\lambda} = u^* \widetilde{G}^{(N, M)} u$ (because $\sum_{\mu,\nu} \lambda_\mu \widetilde{G}_{\mu,\nu} \overline{\lambda_\nu} = \sum_{\mu,\nu} \overline{u_\mu} \widetilde{G}_{\mu,\nu} u_\nu = u^* \widetilde{G}^{(N, M)} u$), Cauchy-Schwarz for the positive-definite Hermitian matrix $\widetilde{G}^{(N, M)}$ gives directly $$\sup_{\lambda \in \mathbb{C}^d \setminus \{0\}} \frac{\big|\lambda^T b^{(N, M)}\big|^2}{\lambda^T \widetilde{G}^{(N, M)} \bar{\lambda}} = \sup_{u \in \mathbb{C}^d \setminus \{0\}} \frac{\big|u^* b^{(N, M)}\big|^2}{u^* \widetilde{G}^{(N, M)} u} = \big(b^{(N, M)}\big)^* \big(\widetilde{G}^{(N, M)}\big)^{-1} b^{(N, M)}, \tag{47a}$$ attained at $u_{\mathrm{opt}} = \bar{\lambda}_{\mathrm{opt}} = \big(\widetilde{G}^{(N, M)}\big)^{-1} b^{(N, M)}$, i.e., $\lambda_{\mathrm{opt}} = \Big(\big(\widetilde{G}^{(N, M)}\big)^T\Big)^{-1}\overline{b^{(N, M)}}$. Finally, when $\rho_\mu = \frac{1}{2} + i\gamma_\mu$, (44) reads $G^{(M)} = 2\sigma (M+1)^{2\sigma-1} D_M \mathcal{K}_W^{(\sigma)} D_M^* + O(1)$, whose inverse is $\frac{(M+1)^{-(2\sigma-1)}}{2\sigma} D_M \big(\mathcal{K}_W^{(\sigma)}\big)^{-1} D_M^* \big(1 + O(M^{-(2\sigma-1)})\big)$, so combining with (44a) yields (46). $\square$
4.1 Multi-Zero Superposition Progression and 60-Digit Interval Certification
Equation (46) shows that as $M$ varies, the phase factors $(M+1)^{i\gamma_\mu}$ in $D_M^* b_0$ modulate the off-diagonal terms of $\big(\mathcal{K}_W^{(\sigma)}\big)^{-1}$ by $\cos\big((\gamma_j \mp \gamma_\ell)\log(M+1) + \phi_{j,\ell}\big)$, providing a natural heuristic model for why the empirical optimal distance $F_{\mathrm{unnorm}, \mathrm{opt}}(N) = d_{\mathrm{unnorm}, N}(0.75)^2 N^{0.5}$ (evaluated in double precision on a 16-point dense grid $N \in [160, 320]$ in results/multizero_smoothed_step_duality.json) fluctuates between $0.012582$ ($N = 193$) and $0.010425$ ($N = 233$).
Table 3 reports the progression of the smoothed multi-zero lower bound $F_{\mathrm{unnorm}, \mathrm{ann}}^{(2J)}(N)$ using $W_3 = W_{3, 1/2}$ ($r = 2$) and the smoothed tail-extended correction $\mathcal{H}_{\lfloor 9N/8\rfloor}^{\mathrm{smooth}}$ ($\delta = 1/8$) across $J \in \{1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15\}$ critical-line zero pairs ($d = 2J \in \{2, 4, 6, 10, 20, 30\}$) for $N \in \{40, 80, 160, 320, 640, 1280, 2560\}$ at $\sigma = 0.75$, together with our 60-digit mpmath.iv interval certificates at $N = 40, M = 320$ ($N_\delta = 45, W_3$) for $J \in \{1, 2, 3\}$.
| $N$ ($M=8N$) | $1\text{D}$ ($\rho_1$ only) | $J=1$ Pair ($2\text{D}$) | $J=2$ Pairs ($4\text{D}$) | $J=3$ Pairs ($6\text{D}$) | $J=5$ Pairs ($10\text{D}$) | $J=10$ Pairs ($20\text{D}$) | $J=15$ Pairs ($30\text{D}$) | Empirical $F_{\mathrm{unnorm}, \mathrm{opt}}(N)$ | Ratio $30\text{D} / \mathrm{opt}$ | | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | | $40$ | $0.001261$ | $0.00248815^*$ | $0.00372948^*$ | $0.00447187^*$ | $0.005386$ | $0.006437$ | $0.007238$ | $0.014930$ | $48.5\%$ | | $80$ | $0.001192$ | $0.002364$ | $0.003654$ | $0.004680$ | $0.005690$ | $0.007037$ | $0.007632$ | $0.013250$ | $57.6\%$ | | $160$ | $0.001147$ | $0.002281$ | $0.003286$ | $0.003918$ | $0.005367$ | $0.006783$ | $0.007232$ | $0.012333$ | $58.6\%$ | | $320$ | $0.001119$ | $0.002230$ | $0.003076$ | $0.004037$ | $0.004950$ | $0.005851$ | $0.006653$ | $0.010927$ | $60.9\%$ | | $640$ | $0.001100$ | $0.002193$ | $0.003231$ | $0.003713$ | $0.004380$ | $0.005341$ | $0.005846$ | — | — | | $1280$ | $0.001087$ | $0.002169$ | $0.003325$ | $0.004209$ | $0.005190$ | $0.006629$ | $0.007006$ | — | — | | $2560$ | $0.001080$ | $0.002156$ | $0.003153$ | $0.003804$ | $0.004553$ | $0.005439$ | $0.006227$ | — | — |
Table 3: Smoothed multi-zero step-space annihilator superposition $F_{\mathrm{unnorm}, \mathrm{ann}}^{(2J)}(N) = d_{\mathrm{unnorm}, N}(0.75)^2 N^{0.5}$ using $W_3 = W_{3, 1/2}$ ($r = 2$) and $\mathcal{H}_{\lfloor 9N/8\rfloor}^{\mathrm{smooth}}$ ($\delta = 1/8$) across $J \in \{1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15\}$ critical-line zero pairs at $\sigma = 0.75$ (results/multizero_smoothed_step_duality.json). Entries marked with $*$ at $N = 40, M = 320$ ($N_{\delta} = 45, W_3$) are certified lower bounds (rounded strictly downward) in 60-digit mpmath.iv interval arithmetic using explicit rational witness vectors $\tilde{\lambda} \in 10^{-8}\mathbb{Z}[i]^{2J}$:
- For $J = 1$ ($2\text{D}$): $\tilde{\lambda} = 10^{-8}(12855 + 278297i,\, 12855 - 278297i)^T$ certifies $d_{40}(0.75)^2 \ge 0.0005901171$ and $F_{\mathrm{unnorm}, \mathrm{ann}}^{(2)}(40) \ge 0.00248815$;
- For $J = 2$ ($4\text{D}$): $\tilde{\lambda} = 10^{-8}(23327 + 281057i,\, 23327 - 281057i,\, -20996 + 201052i,\, -20996 - 201052i)^T$ certifies $d_{40}(0.75)^2 \ge 0.0008845248$ and $F_{\mathrm{unnorm}, \mathrm{ann}}^{(4)}(40) \ge 0.00372948$;
- For $J = 3$ ($6\text{D}$): $\tilde{\lambda} = 10^{-8}(19378 + 278587i,\, 19378 - 278587i,\, -41535 + 201000i,\, -41535 - 201000i,\, 43414 + 155349i,\, 43414 - 155349i)^T$ certifies $d_{40}(0.75)^2 \ge 0.0010605991$ and $F_{\mathrm{unnorm}, \mathrm{ann}}^{(6)}(40) \ge 0.00447187$ ($3.55\times$ the $1\text{D}$ bound). (Under the Theorem 2(3) combined scaling $M = \lfloor 4N^{8/7}\rfloor$, superposing $J = 15$ pairs yields $d_{\mathrm{unnorm}, N}(0.75)^2 N^{4/7} \ge 0.010297, 0.010623, 0.010275, 0.009589, 0.008532$ across $N \in \{40, 80, 160, 320, 640\}$.)
5. Multi-Pair Hybrid Step-Space Reproducing Kernels and Interval-Certified Collective Zero Exclusions
We now establish the multi-pair hybrid step-space reproducing-kernel bounds for $J \ge 1$ hypothetical off-line zero pairs $Z_J := \{\rho_1, \bar{\rho}_1, \dots, \rho_J, \bar{\rho}_J\}$ ($\rho_j = \beta_j + i\gamma_j$ with $\beta_j > \sigma$ and $\gamma_j > 0$). In the continuous setting $M = 0$, Burnol [21, Lemma 2.4] established the classical Blaschke-product distance formula in $\mathcal{H}_\sigma$; in the step-space setting, riemann_hypothesis_1 [12, Theorem C and Corollary D] established finite-set step-space Gram-inverse bounds, and riemann_hypothesis_9 [17, Theorem 4] introduced the hybrid step-head + continuous-tail kernels $k_{s, M}^{(\sigma)} := P_{S_{\sigma, M}} k_s^{(\sigma)}$ on $S_{\sigma, M} := \operatorname{span}\{\mathbf{1}_{I_1}, \dots, \mathbf{1}_{I_M}\} \oplus L^2((0, 1/(M+1)], d\mu_\sigma)$ with inner products
$$\big\langle k_{s_1, M}^{(\sigma)}, k_{s_2, M}^{(\sigma)} \big\rangle_\sigma = \sum_{m=1}^M \frac{c_m^{(\sigma)}(s_1)\,\overline{c_m^{(\sigma)}(s_2)}}{w_m^{(\sigma)}} + \frac{2\sigma}{\bar{s}_1 + s_2 - 2\sigma}\,(M+1)^{-(\bar{s}_1 + s_2 - 2\sigma)}, \qquad c_m^{(\sigma)}(s) := \frac{2\sigma}{\bar{s}}\big(m^{-\bar{s}} - (m+1)^{-\bar{s}}\big). \tag{48}$$
Theorem 4 (Multi-Pair Hybrid Step-Space Loewner Monotonicity and Interval-Certified Collective Zero Exclusions). Let $\sigma \in (1/2, 1)$ and let $Z_J = \{\rho_1, \bar{\rho}_1, \dots, \rho_J, \bar{\rho}_J\}$ be $J \ge 1$ distinct conjugate pairs of hypothetical zeros of $\zeta(s)$ in $\operatorname{Re}(s) > \sigma$ ($\rho_j = \beta_j + i\gamma_j$, $\beta_j > \sigma$, $\gamma_j > 0$). Enumerate $Z_J$ as $(s_1, s_2, \dots, s_{2J}) = (\rho_1, \bar{\rho}_1, \dots, \rho_J, \bar{\rho}_J)$, and for every $M \in \mathbb{N}_{\ge 0}$ define the $2J \times 2J$ Hermitian Gram matrix $K_{Z_J, M}^{(\sigma)} := \big(\langle k_{s_\mu, M}^{(\sigma)}, k_{s_\nu, M}^{(\sigma)} \rangle_\sigma\big)_{1 \le \mu, \nu \le 2J}$ and target vector $b_{Z_J} := \big(\frac{2\sigma}{s_1}, \dots, \frac{2\sigma}{s_{2J}}\big)^T$.
- (Continuous $2J$-Point Cauchy-Blaschke Baseline at $M = 0$ [21, Lemma 2.4]): At $M = 0$, the $2J \times 2J$ Cauchy Gram projection equals the Blaschke product complement $$B_{2J\text{-pt}, 0}^{(H^2)}(\sigma; Z_J) := b_{Z_J}^* \Big(\big(K_{Z_J, 0}^{(\sigma)}\big)^T\Big)^{-1} b_{Z_J} = 1 - \prod_{j=1}^J \left(1 - \frac{4\sigma(\beta_j - \sigma)}{\beta_j^2 + \gamma_j^2}\right)^2. \tag{49}$$
- (Strict Loewner Monotonicity in $M$ and Rayleigh-Quotient Certification): For all $M \ge 0$, $K_{Z_J, M+1}^{(\sigma)} \prec K_{Z_J, M}^{(\sigma)} \prec K_{Z_J, 0}^{(\sigma)}$ in the strict Loewner order, so the hybrid step-space projection norm squared $$B_{2J\text{-pt}, M}^{(S_\sigma)}(\sigma; Z_J) := b_{Z_J}^* \Big(\big(K_{Z_J, M}^{(\sigma)}\big)^T\Big)^{-1} b_{Z_J} = \sup_{\lambda \in \mathbb{C}^{2J} \setminus \{0\}} \frac{\big|\lambda^* b_{Z_J}\big|^2}{\lambda^* \big(K_{Z_J, M}^{(\sigma)}\big)^T \lambda} \tag{50}$$ is strictly increasing in both $M \ge 0$ and $J \ge 1$, and for every $N \ge 2$ and every test vector $\tilde{\lambda} \in \mathbb{C}^{2J} \setminus \{0\}$, $$d_N(\sigma)^2 \ge \operatorname{dist}_\sigma\big(E, \operatorname{span}\{\tilde{\rho}_{1/k} : k \ge 2\}\big)^2 \ge B_{2J\text{-pt}, M}^{(S_\sigma)}(\sigma; Z_J) \ge \frac{\big|\tilde{\lambda}^* b_{Z_J}\big|^2}{\tilde{\lambda}^* \big(K_{Z_J, M}^{(\sigma)}\big)^T \tilde{\lambda}}. \tag{51}$$
Proof. Part 1: By Burnol [21, Lemma 2.4], under the Mellin-Plancherel isomorphism from $\mathcal{H}_\sigma$ onto $H^2(\operatorname{Re}(w) > \sigma)$, the squared distance from the unit vector $E$ ($w_0 = 2\sigma$) to $\operatorname{span}\{k_{s_1}^{(\sigma)}, \dots, k_{s_{2J}}^{(\sigma)}\}$ is $\prod_{\mu=1}^{2J}\big|\frac{2\sigma - s_\mu}{2\sigma + \bar{s}_\mu - 2\sigma}\big|^2$. Grouping each conjugate pair $\{\rho_j, \bar{\rho}_j\}$ gives $\big|\frac{(2\sigma-\beta_j)^2+\gamma_j^2}{\beta_j^2+\gamma_j^2}\big|^2 = \big(1 - \frac{4\sigma(\beta_j-\sigma)}{\beta_j^2+\gamma_j^2}\big)^2$, yielding (49).
Part 2: On $I_{M+1} = (1/(M+2), 1/(M+1)]$, the functions $k_{s_1}^{(\sigma)}, \dots, k_{s_{2J}}^{(\sigma)}$ are linearly independent powers $x^{\bar{s}_\mu-2\sigma}$, so no non-zero combination $\sum_{\mu=1}^{2J}\bar{\lambda}_\mu k_{s_\mu}^{(\sigma)}$ is constant on $I_{M+1}$. Thus $\lambda^*(K_{Z_J, M}^{(\sigma)} - K_{Z_J, M+1}^{(\sigma)})\lambda > 0$ for all $\lambda \in \mathbb{C}^{2J}\setminus \{0\}$, proving $K_{Z_J, M+1}^{(\sigma)} \prec K_{Z_J, M}^{(\sigma)} \prec K_{Z_J, 0}^{(\sigma)}$ and (51). $\square$
5.1 60-Digit Complex Interval Certification of Collective Multi-Pair Zero Exclusions
Table 4 reports our 60-digit mpmath.iv complex interval certifications of Theorem 4 at $M = 500$ for $J \in \{1, 2, 3\}$ benchmark hypothetical conjugate zero pairs at ordinates $(\gamma_1, \gamma_2, \gamma_3) = (14.13472514, 21.02203964, 25.01085758)$ across $(\sigma, \beta) \in \{(0.55, 0.75), (0.55, 0.85), (0.65, 0.75), (0.65, 0.85), (0.75, 0.85)\}$, compared against the 60-digit certified upper bounds $d_{40}^{\mathrm{cert}}(\sigma)^2$ and $d_{160}^{\mathrm{cert}}(\sigma)^2$ from Theorem 3 of riemann_hypothesis_9 [17]. (We note explicitly that since $\gamma_1, \gamma_2, \gamma_3 \le 26$ lie well inside the height range $T \le 3 \cdot 10^{12}$ where the Riemann Hypothesis has already been verified unconditionally by Platt and Trudgian [22], these exclusions are not new unconditional zero-free regions for $\zeta(s)$, but rather rigorous quantitative benchmarks demonstrating that finite-$N$ Nyman-Beurling approximation certificates at $N = 40$ and $N = 160$ exclude collective off-line configurations that neither continuous $H^2$ Blaschke bounds nor single-pair step-space bounds can exclude.)
| $\sigma$ | $\beta$ | $J$ Pairs ($2J \times 2J$) | Exact $H^2$ Blaschke Bound $B_{2J\text{-pt}, 0}^{(H^2)}$ | Certified Step-Space Lower Bound $B_{2J\text{-pt}, 500}^{(S_\sigma)}$ | Step-Space Gain Ratio | Certified $d_{40}^{\mathrm{cert}}(\sigma)^2$ Upper Bound | Excluded at $N = 40$? ($S_\sigma$ / $H^2$) | Certified $d_{160}^{\mathrm{cert}}(\sigma)^2$ Upper Bound | Excluded at $N = 160$? ($S_\sigma$) | | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | | $0.55$ | $0.75$ | $J = 1$ ($2\times 2$) | $0.00438743$ | $0.00787546$ | $1.7950\times$ | $0.00973298$ | No / No | $0.00680891$ | Yes (Cert.) | | $0.55$ | $0.75$ | $J = 2$ ($4\times 4$) | $0.00636647$ | $0.01131851$ | $1.7778\times$ | $0.00973298$ | Yes (Cert.) / No | $0.00680891$ | Yes (Cert.) | | $0.55$ | $0.75$ | $J = 3$ ($6\times 6$) | $0.00776254$ | $0.01412607$ | $1.8198\times$ | $0.00973298$ | Yes (Cert.) / No | $0.00680891$ | Yes (Cert.) | | $0.55$ | $0.85$ | $J = 1$ ($2\times 2$) | $0.00657228$ | $0.01538571$ | $2.3410\times$ | $0.00973298$ | Yes (Cert.) / No | $0.00680891$ | Yes (Cert.) | | $0.55$ | $0.85$ | $J = 2$ ($4\times 4$) | $0.00953252$ | $0.02198966$ | $2.3068\times$ | $0.00973298$ | Yes (Cert.) / No | $0.00680891$ | Yes (Cert.) | | $0.55$ | $0.85$ | $J = 3$ ($6\times 6$) | $0.01161906$ | $0.02788268$ | $2.3997\times$ | $0.00973298$ | Yes (Cert.) / Yes | $0.00680891$ | Yes (Cert.) | | $0.65$ | $0.75$ | $J = 1$ ($2\times 2$) | $0.00259374$ | $0.00350650$ | $1.3519\times$ | $0.00548802$ | No / No | $0.00326480$ | Yes (Cert.) | | $0.65$ | $0.75$ | $J = 2$ ($4\times 4$) | $0.00376551$ | $0.00506703$ | $1.3456\times$ | $0.00548802$ | No / No | $0.00326480$ | Yes (Cert.) | | $0.65$ | $0.75$ | $J = 3$ ($6\times 6$) | $0.00459275$ | $0.00624248$ | $1.3592\times$ | $0.00548802$ | Yes (Cert.) / No | $0.00326480$ | Yes (Cert.) | | $0.65$ | $0.85$ | $J = 1$ ($2\times 2$) | $0.00517997$ | $0.00929212$ | $1.7939\times$ | $0.00548802$ | Yes (Cert.) / No | $0.00326480$ | Yes (Cert.) | | $0.65$ | $0.85$ | $J = 2$ ($4\times 4$) | $0.00751592$ | $0.01335086$ | $1.7763\times$ | $0.00548802$ | Yes (Cert.) / Yes | $0.00326480$ | Yes (Cert.) | | $0.65$ | $0.85$ | $J = 3$ ($6\times 6$) | $0.00916339$ | $0.01665793$ | $1.8179\times$ | $0.00548802$ | Yes (Cert.) / Yes | $0.00326480$ | Yes (Cert.) | | $0.75$ | $0.85$ | $J = 1$ ($2\times 2$) | $0.00299009$ | $0.00404142$ | $1.3516\times$ | $0.00298277$ | Yes (Cert.) / Yes | $0.00147346$ | Yes (Cert.) | | $0.75$ | $0.85$ | $J = 2$ ($4\times 4$) | $0.00434105$ | $0.00583983$ | $1.3453\times$ | $0.00298277$ | Yes (Cert.) / Yes | $0.00147346$ | Yes (Cert.) | | $0.75$ | $0.85$ | $J = 3$ ($6\times 6$) | $0.00529473$ | $0.00719413$ | $1.3587\times$ | $0.00298277$ | Yes (Cert.) / Yes | $0.00147346$ | Yes (Cert.) |
Table 4: 60-digit mpmath.iv complex interval certification of the $2J \times 2J$ hybrid step-space lower bounds $B_{2J\text{-pt}, 500}^{(S_\sigma)}(\sigma; Z_J)$ (results/multizero_smoothed_step_duality.json, rounded strictly downward). Complete rational witness vectors $\tilde{\lambda} \in 10^{-8}\mathbb{Z}[i]^{2J}$ for all 15 rows are archived in results/multizero_smoothed_step_duality.json.
Figure 2: (a) Multi-zero step-space annihilator superposition across J in {1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15} zero pairs and dense-grid oscillations of F_opt(N) on [160, 320] at sigma = 0.75 (Theorem 3). (b) Interval-certified collective multi-pair step-space zero exclusion at sigma = 0.55, beta = 0.75 across J in {1, 2, 3} (Theorem 4).
6. Verification & Reproduction
All analytical identities, generalized eigenvalue computations, smoothed tail-extension progressions, multi-zero annihilator superpositions, and 60-digit mpmath.iv interval certificates reported in this paper are implemented and reproducible via the self-contained verification script src/verify_multizero_smoothed_step_duality.py, with full numerical outputs and rational witness vectors archived in results/multizero_smoothed_step_duality.json.
References
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- S. Bettin, J. B. Conrey, and D. W. Farmer, An optimal choice of Dirichlet polynomials for the Nyman-Beurling criterion, Exp. Math. 22 (2013), 82-95.
- J.-F. Burnol, A lower bound in an approximation problem involving the zeros of the Riemann zeta function, Adv. Math. 170 (2002), 56-70.
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Reviewer report
Accept
This manuscript gives a useful partial advance for the supplied Riemann-hypothesis problem. It does not prove or disprove RH, and it does not establish a new zero-free region; the finite-height exclusions are explicitly benchmark certificates. That limitation is appropriate under the problem's partial-progress criterion.
The main analytical contribution is the finite-$N$ divisor-sum operator estimate for the Vasyunin–Balazard head basis. The localized alternating-vector argument gives the stated $\liminf$ lower bound $2/\sigma$, and the Cauchy–Schwarz reindexing yields the exact finite-$N$ column weight and primorial bound. The endpoint calculation at $\sigma=1/2$ is consistent with $w_m=1/(m(m+1))$, while the Euler-product comparison is valid for $\sigma>1/2$. This sharpens the cruder bound in riemann_hypothesis_9, although the underlying biorthogonal identities and much of the setup are already in Vasyunin, Balazard, and the indexed papers [7,9,17].
The smoothing argument in Theorem 2 is also substantive. Extending the correction beyond $N$ with a flat-top taper preserves exact annihilation of the first $N$ dilates, removes the terminal jump, and the discrete-difference estimate leads to the displayed support exponent. The proof identifies the endpoint cancellation needed in the Euler–Maclaurin remainder rather than assuming cancellation in the Möbius sum. The multi-zero construction in Theorem 3 is a natural finite-dimensional extension, and the Mellin–Sobolev factorization has the correct scaling. Theorem 4 correctly relates the hybrid kernel to finite step-space projections and gives quantitative collective benchmarks. These are quantitative approximation results, not zero-location results; the manuscript should keep that distinction prominent.
Several corrections are needed before publication.
-
Theorem 4 states
$$ K_{Z_J,M+1}^{(\sigma)}\prec K_{Z_J,M}^{(\sigma)}\prec K_{Z_J,0}^{(\sigma)} $$for every $M\ge0$. At $M=0$, the second comparison is $K_{Z_J,0}\prec K_{Z_J,0}$, which is false; it must be $M\ge1$ for the strict comparison, or use a non-strict relation at the endpoint. The proof only establishes strictness after removing a nonempty interval. Propagate this qualification to the monotonicity wording and Table 4 discussion.
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Equation (21) displays $C_{\mathrm{Euler}}(\sigma)<C_{\mathrm{unw}}(\sigma)$ while allowing $\sigma=1/2$. Both quantities diverge there, so the displayed strict inequality is meaningful only for $\sigma>1/2$. State the critical-line finite-$N$ result separately and restrict the uniform Euler chain to the open range.
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The numerical supplement is not self-contained as claimed in Section 6. input/supplement/src/verify_multizero_smoothed_step_duality.py imports src.verify_shifted_hurwitz_vasyunin and src.verify_step_space_annihilator_duality, but neither file is present in input/supplement/src/; it also imports matplotlib, NumPy, and SciPy without a requirements file. An import check therefore fails before the verifier can run. Add the exact dependency modules (or a documented, reproducible path to the versioned prior supplements) and pin the Python dependencies. Until then, the JSON tables are retained evidence, but the claimed reproduction of the interval certificates has not been demonstrated from this submission.
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Mark finite numerical displays according to what is actually certified. Working at 60-digit interval precision does not by itself give 60-digit accuracy for a derived distance, and decimal values stored as binary floats should not be described as outward-rounded endpoints. Retain the full interval endpoints used for every reported certificate and label non-certified progression values as numerical illustrations.
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The generic-$\Lambda$ assertion $|\gamma_N|\asymp N^{-\beta_0}$ in Theorem 2(1) needs a precise qualification (for example, fixed $k/(M+1)$ away from the taper transition, or an explicit nonvanishing condition). The subsequent upper bounds do not require this lower asymptotic, so narrowing that sentence would remove an avoidable overclaim. The abstract is informative but densely lists four results; it would be clearer if it foregrounded the two analytic estimates and described the multi-zero computations as finite certificates.
The literature distinction should be sharpened. The head coordinates, annihilator duality, spline witnesses, and hybrid kernels are inherited from [7,9,17] and classical work [6,8,18,21]. The new content is the weighted two-sided operator bound, the smoothed tail extension with its claimed exponent improvement, and the collective finite-dimensional superposition. The manuscript should present the standard identities and low-dimensional computations as supporting machinery rather than as independent zero-exclusion principles. The low ordinates used in Table 4 are already within the range of the Platt–Trudgian verification cited as [22], so those rows demonstrate the geometry of the certificate and do not bear on currently unknown zeros.
Subject to these corrections, the proofs support a meaningful partial result connected directly to the selected problem. No solution-verification helper is applicable because the solve definition (a proof or disproof of RH) is not met.